


Fire And Ice

by Sefiru



Series: Hidden Sky [8]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: F/M, Family, Fanchild Lussuria, Fight Scene, Fluff, Friendship, Genderfluid Lussuria, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Iambic Pentameter, Iemitsu is a douche, Iemitsu's A+ family values, M/M, Negotiations, Other, Picnic, Reborn is a troll, Ring Battles, Sparring, Squalo doesn't get paid enough for this shit, Sub!Hayato, Takeshi picks a fight, Training, Tsuna is surrounded by perverts, Vongola Inheritance Trial, Xanxus's foul language, boss!Tsuna, long-lost siblings, rock-paper-scissors, sub!Xanxus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22837774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sefiru/pseuds/Sefiru
Summary: Nine years ago Xanxus was frozen in ice. Nine months ago, his Guardians asked namimori's Hidden Sky for a solution. Now they're about to meet. CEDEF is also sticking their nose in, but who's on whose side? You've never seen Ring Battles like this before!
Relationships: Basil/Kyoko, Gokudera Hayato/Sawada Tsunayoshi, Hibari Kyouya/Reborn, Lussuria/Vindice, Shoichi/Cervello
Series: Hidden Sky [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1059935
Comments: 598
Kudos: 1566





	1. Chapter 1

With seven rings his pockets weighing, soft  
as summer rain one Basil, spy by trade,  
alights in eastern lands. His time is short,  
his foes not far behind. He’s tasked to see  
the rings delivered ere the Wrath appears.  
He fears the effort all will come to naught;  
he oft his master’s tales has heard. A son  
of Flames unknowing, helpless child, unfit  
to face a killer born. His duty clear,  
he presses on. From train to rushing train  
the landscape passes by; he sees it not.

Assassins move by slow and secret ways,  
thus Basil, walking free, outpaces them  
to Namimori, that most peaceful town  
in sunlight resting, houses, parks and shops.  
Alas, what peril to this refuge comes!  
Why now? For nine long years has Xanxus slept  
in ice. His own no protest dare to make  
’til sudden they abscond with him. Mayhap  
they’ve found a means to thaw him? Thus, the rings.  
Should Xanxus stay his course, the heir must fight.

Small hope, that Reborn’s teaching can prepare  
the Tenth for what may come. ’Tis true his skills  
are great, yet word of progress there is none.  
The lack of knowledge vexes him, and so  
keen-eyed he looks about. The town is bright  
with Flames, not least among them Sky. A tree  
shines forth; he reaches out his hand in wonder.  
Though Skies he’s met in plenty, none so pure.  
How came it here, a gift set out for all?

He ought not linger, tempting though it be.  
With cautious tread he seeks the proper house –  
no gilded palace this; doth master keep  
his wife and only son in such estate?  
A man of means and rank could do much more.  
He knocks; dark shielding Mist obscures his sight  
a moment, judging, then it passes him  
within the wards. And here also he sees  
that amber glow of unknown Sky; and more,  
a rainbow guard around him lies in wait.  
What news of Basil’s mission have they heard?  
He feels himself a pawn in some great game  
beyond his ken; a spy is ever thus.  
He takes the rings in hand and stands alone  
before the heir who’d take the clamshell throne.

*** 

Tsuna studied the young Rain sitting across from him. The Varia hadn’t even arrived yet and already complications were cropping up. “Let me get this straight, Basil-san. My father sent you with these rings so that I can fight the Varia over them.”

“Verily. Xanxus hath designs on the title of Decimo; a Ring Battle seemeth certain.”

Tsuna sighed. He would rather avoid having his Elements face off against professional killers; in fact, he had been planning to spend a day resting while the Varia were en route. Instead, a text message from Lal to Reborn had warned them of Basil’s arrival.

“What I’m wondering,” said Tsuna, “is that you must have left Italy after the Varia made their heist. So how did you beat them here?”

Reborn swatted him. “You should be able to work it out for yourself, Fluffy-Tsuna.”

“Ok, Sensei.” The zero-point ice was immune to most Flame techniques including Mist teleportation, so the Varia were travelling by airplane – a small one that could land at out-of-the-way airstrips and avoid the major airports, but that had disadvantages as well. “Basil-san, did you take a commercial flight?”

“Indeed.”

“And the Varia are using a private plane … which doesn’t go as fast as an airliner … and it has less room for fuel, so they’d have to stop for more …” Tsuna trailed off; he was sure there was another factor, but it wasn’t coming to mind.

“The route,” chirped Fuuta, who had made the same trip. “The number one shortest way from Italy to Japan is over the North Pole, but there’s nowhere to stop for most of the way.” Even if the Varia _could_ land in Russia, Tsuna didn’t think they’d risk it. So they had a longer distance to cover than Basil had.

The Rain was gaping at him. Had he said something strange? Tsuna thought back; right, he’d let slip that he knew how the Varia were travelling. Oops. It wouldn’t matter after the next day or two anyway. “Sorry about this, Basil-san, but we’re going to have to keep your phone for a while. You’ll have to ask before sending any messages.”

Reborn scooped Basil’s phone off the table and pocketed it.

“… Thou art much different from accounts of thee, Sawada-dono.”

“You didn’t notice that his CEDEF file is full of shit?” snarked Hayato.

Basil looked sideways. “ ’Tis not a student’s place to question his master.”

“It is when he’s being a dumbass!”

Tsuna felt bad for Basil. The young man had a quick mind and good – if archaic – manners, and he was stuck working for Tsuna’s so-called father. It had to be stifling. “Do you have a place to stay, Basil-san?”

“I had not time – ”

“Ara, he could stay here,” Nana put in. “I’ve been meaning to clean out the attic, and Tsu-kun will want to keep an eye on him, ne?”

Basil bowed to her. “Beg pardon, Lady. I was told thou knewest not of … business dealings.”

“Ah, my Tsu-kun told me everything. He’s such a good son!”

“Mama!” Tsuna blushed. Three months later, he was still not used to how easily Nana had adapted to the Flame Active community. Then again, she was a Rain too. He picked up the rings in their box. “Thank you for bringing these, Basil-san. Sorry I can’t really tell you what’s going on.”

*** 

Kyoko swung her mop briskly while she watched their guest from the corner of her eye. If she were in his shoes she would be jittering with curiosity. Basil was Rain-subtle but she could tell he was piecing together all the hints he could gather, in spite of the distractions of cleaning. There wasn’t much left in the attic; anything usable in it had gone to the secret base. A little cleaning and Basil would have plenty of room for a futon, a lamp and a few storage baskets. 

It was a shame they couldn’t trust him yet; Kyoko would love to compare notes with a fellow information specialist. She’d seen his name on the files that Reborn shared; the CEDEF bureau was technically an ally, and Basil was one of their top agents. He was about Ryohei’s age, but graceful rather than muscular. Did he dance? It would go well with his old-fashioned mannerisms.

“ ’Tis near done, methinks,” he said, carrying a load of bedding up the stairs. Hana swatted at him with her duster.

“Do you have to talk like that?”

He chuckled. “Nay, ’tis an amusement, born of a passion for tongues of yore. I _can_ speak the modern way, but it doesn’t suit me.”

He was right; that last sentence sounded weird. “It looks done to me,” said Kyoko. “We just need the Mists to add some security – sorry, but you know how it is.”

*** 

Out in the garden, Tsuna showed the box of half-rings to Kawahira. “These are supposed to be the second arm of the tri-ni-sette, right? I thought there would be more to them.”

Kawahira lightly touched one of the rings. “Ah. These are replicas – decoys.”

“Where are the real ones, then?”

Daemon Spade, who was sunning himself on the table next to a book on collectible glassware, flicked his tail. “I’ll be right back.” He vanished in a swirl of Mist, not even bothering to stand up.

“Please tell me he hasn’t gone to steal the rings.”

“All right, Boss; he hasn’t gone to steal the rings.”

“Liar.” Tsuna rubbed his forehead. This didn’t change his plans, just moved some of them forwards. He would have to review his notes … after he finished his current project. Xanxus getting frozen in ice was just as bad as the seal that had been put on Tsuna, and he would accept no further delays on freeing him.

His phone beeped; it was an update from Viper. [Departed Roanapur on schedule, ETA Namimori 24:00. Status nominal.] They were on the last leg of their journey. He hoped Xanxus’ Elements got some rest on the way, but it wasn’t likely.

Hayato came up behind him and put his arms around Tsuna’s waist. “The attic is all set up, Decimo. Should I make you a coffee? Nana’s baking an emergency batch of cookies.”

Tsuna leaned into his Right Hand. “A decaf, please? I’ll need my sleep tonight.”

The promise of cookies had brought all of his Family to the living room; Basil was right in the middle, in a combination of welcome and wariness. If that bothered him, he wasn’t showing it. “Art most generous, milady.”

“Ara, it’s no trouble,” Nana said. “Basil-san, this is a rather personal question, but could I ask your date of birth?” Basil shrugged and named a date that made him three years older than Tsuna. “Thank you, Basil-san …” Nana wandered into the kitchen and took out her phone. “Shamal, dear, could you come by the house? And bring your DNA kit.”

Why would she ask for that? The last time he had used that device, Shamal had proved that Chrome was Mukuro’s sister. Several things clicked together. Why Basil looked oddly familiar. The tawny hair they both shared, though Italians and Japanese were both usually darker. Why Nana asked about Basil’s birthdate, which was before she met Iemitsu.

“Hahi, could Basil-san be related to someone here?” asked Haru.

“Mayhap; I know little of my ancestry. Even the name of my father is a mystery to me.”

*** 

Nana is starting to wonder what she ever saw in That Man. Really! He has Basil working for him, but hasn’t told him who he is. The relationship is obvious to Nana’s eye. Bianchi scowls as she works it out. “That’s low even for him. Can I borrow your oven?”

“Not until you can cook rice without turning it green, Byan-chan.”

“Oh, come on – I haven’t made anything grow maggots in a month.” Even so, it’s going to be a while before she can create edible food at will. Nana wags a finger at her.

“Tsu-kun gets the first turn at payback, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Shamal arrives promptly, and greets both women with a kiss. Nana giggles at his attempt to act perverted. “It’s good of you to come, Shamal.”

“Do I want to know why all of Tsuna’s Guardians are here?”

“There were cookies!” Lambo declares.

“Fine, don’t tell me then.” Shamal sets up his testing apparatus. “So who’s our lucky contestant today?”

Basil steps forward. “Myself, ’twould seem, good sir.”

“A hair from your head, please. And who am I comparing this to?”

“Ara, it’s my Tsu-kun.” Tsuna solemnly hands over a hair; Basil gapes.

“Surely it cannot be …”

The problem, Nana thinks, is that Iemitsu appears charming, even charismatic; one has to look past that to what he _does._ He made Nana a bystander in her own life, impaired her Tsu-kun in the most dreadful way, and now he’s denied Basil his family. It’s just like That Man to leave all the housework to his wife; if he won’t make sure her stepson is looked after, then she will.

*** 

Tsuna’s intuition told him the answer before Shamal’s device produced its result; he had a brother he’d never known about, thanks to their father’s idiocy.

“Uh … congratulations?” said Shamal.

Basil floundered, “But, why then did he not speak of it?”

“Add that to the list of questions I have for him.” It had to be a shock to find out that the man he called ‘master’ was actually his father. “Are you all right, Basil-nii?”

Basil blinked owlishly. “Wouldst name me brother so easily?”

“Family’s important. You’re always welcome in mine, even if it’s a bit chaotic.”

“You know you like it, Fluffy-Tsuna,” called Reborn. Tsuna rolled his eyes fondly and held out a hand to Basil.

“Will you be a part of my family?”

“ ’Twould be my honour.” Basil took his hand – 

– Their Flames snapped into Harmony. He sensed the patience of rain wearing stone away, one grain of data at a time; boundless curiosity, and delight at discovering the truth of himself. His other Elements caught their breaths; Basil swayed and crumpled into Tsuna’s shoulder. “This … this is the nature of Sky? I had no notion …”

Basil _worked_ with a Sky. Tsuna was angry at his father all over again; just what had he been telling his subordinates? He patted Basil’s back awkwardly. “It’ll be OK. I’ve got you.”

“Doth not milord have a Rain already?”

“If you hadn’t noticed, I’m weird. And you can call me brother. Or, you know, my name.”

“As thou wilst, milord brother.”

“Oh god, Rain humor,” grumbled Hayato. “Oi, baseball idiot, looks like you’re a sempai too now.”

“Ahaha, I’m sure I’ll do a better job than you!” but Takeshi’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and Tsuna made note of it. He’d been lucky that with his large circle of Elements the only real friction had been between Reborn and Kawahira until now. He looked around; Kyoko was bouncing on her toes, and Shamal had quietly shown himself out. Lambo was visibly holding back a cheer.

“Let’s sit down, Basil-nii, and I’ll fill you in on everything properly.”

“I’m to hold thy secrets so soon?”

“Of course.” He _kne_ w Basil now; knew that he had already chosen Tsuna over his father when he took his hand. “Do you want to hear it all at once, or take some time to discover stuff for yourself?”

Basil tilted his head thoughtfully. “Doth depend what use thou wilt make of me. Should I continue as a CEDEF agent, it were better I played the mushroom a while longer.”

Tsuna would need to appoint an external advisor of his own; not like he could trust Iemitsu with the post. “Do you _like_ working for CEDEF, Basil-nii?”

“Aye, ’tis a most engrossing endeavour.” Basil’s smile was genuine, and Tsuna matched it.

“Here’s what we’ll do, then; we won’t hide anything, but we won’t directly tell you – and you can’t ask directly either. Let’s see what you make of Namimori’s question game.”

Basil’s grin turned eager. Nana chimed in, “Ara, Basil-kun can keep me company tomorrow while you’re working on your project.” Good point; bringing a CEDEF agent to a meeting with the Varia would be a spectacularly bad idea.

Daemon Spade reappeared in a swirl of Mist, carrying two small boxes with him. “All right, what did I miss?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who says fanfic can't be Shakespeare? ^_^ (Seriously though, any more of Basil's scenes will be prose. Worst. Meter. Ever.)
> 
> Welcome all to the latest installment of Hidden Sky! Thank you to all of the readers, re-readers, and commenters ^^ I know many of you have been looking forward to this arc, and so have I. Shit is about to get real you guys.


	2. Chapter 2

“Voi, slow the fuck down, brat!” Squalo is trying to scope out the area; it’s the weirdest Mafia town he’s ever seen. But Belphegor is dragging him down the sidewalk at top speed.

“The Prince is impatient.”

“Yeah, to fill your stomach.” And seriously, who uses a fucking sushi restaurant as a checkpoint? 

Squalo is on edge. He’s barely slept in three days, he’s living on ration bars and coffee, and he’s brought his Boss, still incapacitated, into the heart of another Sky’s territory. And that’s _still_ a better situation than they took Xanxus out of; there was fucking dust on his ice block when they got into the Iron Fort’s basement. Lussuria and Levi are guarding him now, but Squalo won’t relax until they don’t need to. Noon can’t come soon enough.

Here is the restaurant that Bel is always raving about. It’s closed – it’s the crack of fucking dawn – and Belphegor goes straight to the back door. There are two Active Flames in there, both Rains, and they might be sparring; it’s hard to tell with Flame sense alone. Belphegor, the brat, barges in without knocking. There’s a living room, and then a dojo, and yep, looks like a father and son, having a practice session. With swords. And that technique looks really fucking familiar.

“Voi! Is that Shigure Soen Ryu?”

“Ahaha, you know the style?” says the older one.

“Know it? I rule at it!” True, Squalo hasn’t faced another practitioner since he learned the style, but he’s the fucking Sword Emperor. The kid bows to his father and lowers his sword – which turns into a shinai which he slings across his back. Holy shit, is that _the_ Shigure Kintoki? He’s stumbled on the Shigure Soen Ryu main line and he wasn’t even looking.

“Care for a bout?” asks the father. “All I ask is that we keep it non-lethal – I have a restaurant to run.”

“The Prince would be most displeased if the peasant chef was damaged,” Belphegor adds. Squalo pauses. He has more reason than usual to stay alive today … but he’s not used to holding back, and he doesn’t intend to lose.

“Maa, any thug can kill,” says the chef. “If you’re truly skilled – defeat me without shedding blood.”

“You’re on!” Squalo sheds the scabbard of his sword prosthesis.

“Oh, a southpaw!” The kid grins, and gives him a cold, assessing look. “Have fun, dad! Your Highness, I’ll let my Sky know you’ve arrived.” So, that’s the local Rain Guardian, and that’s why he has the family blade rather than his father. Squalo wants to see what he’s made of.

Later. He steps out of his shoes and onto the dojo floor. “Squalo Superbi, Varia Rain Officer.”

“Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, called Autumn Rain.”

So this is where he vanished to. Squalo grins and points at Bel. “Voi, say when!”

Belphegor giggles while they take their stances. “Peasants, begin!”

*** 

A wind rustled through the trees of Kokuyo Land as Tsuna waited for the Varia to arrive. It had taken nine months of work to get to this point; not just learning how to counter the Zero-Point Breakthrough – which meant learning to replicate it first – but also keeping in contact with Viper to coordinate the whole operation. Depending on how Xanxus reacted to him, Tsuna might have to alter his plans for the future; he just hoped Xanxus would give him a chance to talk.

His official Guardians were waiting with him; the rest were either lurking in the trees, or guarding his house. With his Flames laced throughout Kokuyo Land’s grounds, Tsuna was the first to notice when their visitors arrived.

Since vehicles couldn’t get up the path, they were on foot. Viper floated in front; the other four were carrying Xanxus’s ice prison on their shoulders, looking uncomfortably like pallbearers with a coffin. They set it down in the middle of the courtyard. Viper rose up to speak, but Lussuria beat them to it.

“I recognise this place! This is where those wonderful photos of the Vindice were taken!”

“You’re the person who’s buying them?” asked Hayato. Their Family had tried to guess who would be interested in those, but they had totally missed the mark. Lussuria winked.

“I can’t get enough of that cold, stiff flesh, darlings!”

“Voi, be a pervert on your own time,” snapped Squalo.

Viper gave their comrades a stern look. “Mu, we have completed our half of the bargain, Yin Tian.”

The other Varia gaped; Tsuna just nodded at them. “And I’m ready to do mine. We should do this in the amphitheatre, though, there’s more room there.” 

“How much longer will that take?” growled Levi.

“A hundred meters and five minutes. I promise.” He looked at the Varia sympathetically; they had been cut off from their Sky for nearly a decade.

Shortly, they set down their burden in the bowl of the amphitheatre. Tsuna could see Xanxus’s form within the ice, caught in mid-movement, though the reflections from sunlight made it hard to make out details. He frowned; it was one thing to use such a technique in battle, but to _leave_ someone like this …

“Trouble, darling?” Lussuria fluttered up to him.

“Not for any of you.” Tsuna laid a hand on the ice; it felt more fragile than the ice he’d made for practice. “There may be some surface scarring, but otherwise he’ll be fine. In fact he’ll probably come out swinging, so please take a step back.” He called up his Flames.

*** 

Xanxus roared as the ice crumbled from him; he was moving before his sight even cleared, and he struck at the Sky Flame in front of him. The shitty old man was going to _pay_ for doing this to him.

The Sky slid away from his fist; he vaguely noticed that it wasn’t the old man’s Flame, but he was too fucking _furious_ to care. He knew – the old man fucking _knew_ Xanxus couldn’t inherit, and instead of coming the fuck clean, had led him around by the nose and then stabbed him in the fucking back. Let a lot of good men get fucked up in the process, and for what? Some shitty power trip?

And what was _this_ shit? He’d gone from fighting indoors after dark to the fucking woods at high noon, and the old man wasn’t even _nearby_ , the fucking coward. He didn’t have the decency to finish their fight, and left Xanxus with this fluffball of a kid who hadn’t thrown a fucking punch yet.

“What the fuck are you waiting for, brat?”

“For you to tell me why you’re fighting me.”

“Do I need a fucking reason? I’m pissed off as hell and I want to blow some fucking steam!”

“Okay.” And the brat backhanded him through a tree.

Xanxus grinned. This was more fucking like it. His guns were MIA, but he could fucking do without. He charged again. Fluffy moved like the fucking wind; Xanxus clocked him a few times, but he had to _work_ for it. He ate dirt two, three times; the brat wasn’t too prissy to get in close. And no ice-block cheap shots either. Xanxus’s rage faded; he was having fucking _fun_ for once. Now that he was calmer, he could sense his elements around the perimeter, along with some others that probably belonged to the brat; still no sign of the Ninth’s people. The moment’s distraction cost him another face full of bark. _Somebody_ had taught the brat to put his back into his blows. And Xanxus could tell he was still holding back. “When are you goong to go all out, trash?”

“Two conditions.” Fluffy broke off his attack. “First, let your Sun check you over, get a meal and a night’s sleep.”

Fair; he’d been fighting non-stop, aside from the ice thing, for a whole fucking day. He would rather go into a match with no fucking excuses. “And the other?”

“Let me show you the counter to the Zero-Point.” Ice crackled around the brat’s fingers. “That way both of us can really cut loose.”

“You’re on, trash.”

Fluffy smiled at him, and fuck, no one who hit that hard should look that cute. “Call me Tsuna. Viper knows how to reach me.”

Of course they fucking did. Xanxus’s Elements swarmed him, and how fucking long was he in that ice? Squalo’s hair was down to his ass, Belphegor had gotten big – it must have been _years_. He grabbed Squalo and pinned him against a tree. “Miss me, trash?”

Instead of the mock struggle he expected, Squalo leaned into his grip. “Hell yeah, Boss.”

Xanxus dropped his voice to a mutter. “That bad?” Squalo just gave him a _look_. Right, this was a talk for behind closed doors. “We got a safe house?”

“Yeah, Boss.”

“Then get a fucking move on.” For a moment it was like nothing had changed as they fell into step around him. Soon they were all piled in an unmarked van. Levi was driving; Lussuria, who was being male today, was talking on his phone in Japanese about room service. Xanxus was manwiched between Squalo and Belphegor in the back, with Viper on his lap. He finally got a good look at his Rain’s tattered outfit. “Shark, you look like you got jumped by a rabid sushi chef.”

“Voi, how’d you know?” Squalo grinned. “I had a spar with the local consigliere … or something, these people have a weird org structure.”

“And you killed him? Great fucking first impression there.”

“Did not.” Squalo made an annoyed face. “He dared me not to.” Xanxus burst out laughing.

*** 

No sooner had the lock clicked shut on the safe house – a fucking penthouse suite – than Xanxus seized Belphegor in a headlock. “Been making trouble for the shark, brat?”

“Unhand the Prince!” Belphegor flailed his arms and pretended to struggle; Xanxus ground his knuckles into his Storm’s hair.

“You’re still a hundred years too young to tell me what to do, shitty Prince. Anything else you trash have been up to?”

Squalo replied, “I’ve been doing train-and-recruit tours; Levi went for his Master’s degree.”

“Linguistics?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Get me a copy of your thesis and shit.” The battle high had worn off and he wanted a shower. It was going to be a short one though; for him it had only been a few hours, but for his own it had been much longer. 

_Nine years_. Jesus.

He was fucking lucky that all his Elements had survived. Squalo had the Horse to lean on; Viper was Arcobaleno; Luss and Levi had been tight even before he met them, so they could hold each other up. And Bel had been coming here to hang around Fluffy. None of that was a substitute for _him_ , though. He could feel it in the way their Flames fucking _hungered_ , in all the little ways they were treating him. His box of hair shit sat next to his clothes and gun belt. Levi stood ramrod straight while handing him a towel; Squalo handed him a glass of bourbon on the rocks, and his favourite chair from HQ was set up in the middle of the suite. He draped himself over it and tossed a comb at Lussuria. “Viper, start talking.”

Luss pulled up a stool to do his hair; Viper started with, “My usual fee will be – ”

“You’re on fucking salary, trash. What the fuck have I missed?”

They told him, and it was fucking _dire_. Nonna, Massimo, Federico all gone, the Vongola hanging by a thread. Xanxus drained his drink and hurled his glass at the wall. Squalo passed him another. “Who the fuck’s in line for Decimo now?”

“Mu … the young man who kicked you around the field today.”

“The fuck? Why the fuck would he be helping us, then?” They couldn’t have run a con on a bloodline Sky, not a snowball’s chance in Hell. And if Fluffy wanted leverage on the Varia, he’d have been better off leaving Xanxus in the fucking ice.

“The Prince asked him that too, ushishishishi. Told him my King wants the Vongola to be strong. He asked what you want strength for.”

“And you think that’s a stupid question, trash?” It was a Sky’s question; a Boss’s question. He’d talked it over with Enrico more than once. If the brat had picked up on that already … “How many Guardians has he got?

“Thirteen.”

“What.”

“Including two Arcobaleno, the Arcobaleno administrator – ”

“ _What_.”

“And a Mist ghost who claims to be Daemon Spade.”

“Are you fucking _shitting_ me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lussuria/Vindice: I don't know why I've never seen it before. It seems like a logical extension of the usual take on Luss's preferences. 
> 
> Tsuna doesn't know it, but he's been using Zero-Point Revised this whole time (ie the version that doesn't use the target's Flames; he's been practicing on mice so it's the only one that would work). That's why he thinks Timoteo's ice feels fragile.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, fucking Mini-Primo and his merry men.” The room service had arrived, and Xanxus shoved a piece of steak in his mouth. “What are we fucking dealing with?”

“Mu.” Viper created an illusion of Fluffy. “Tsunayoshi Sawada, Sky, age sixteen. Notable accomplishments: breaking a Flame seal which was applied to him at age five, and neutralising the Arcobaleno Curse. He is known publicly as Yin Tian.”

“Voi, you knew!” Squalo burst out. “Boss, Yin Tian first showed up over a year ago and nobody knows jack shit about him. And the fucking miser knew the whole time.”

“For interrupting, I shall fine you one thousand euros.”

Xanxus tossed his glass at Viper. “Get on with it, trash; how much is that jackass Iemitsu mixed up in this?”

“Iemitsu Sawada has had no contact with his son since age five,” said the Mist. What the shit? His kid had a seal put on him, and the jackass just _ditched_ him? Hang on – “Trash, who exactly sealed Fluffy’s Flames?”

“The Ninth, at Iemitsu’s request.”

Xanxus snarled. Fluffy _did_ have common cause with him. He was going to learn the counter to that ice shit, and then _fuck_ the old man. His Elements growled with him, echoing his rage; he took a deep breath. And then a swig of bourbon, from his third glass. “So. Guardians?”

Viper changed their illusion to the image of a silver-haired kid. “Storm Guardian and Right Hand, Hayato Gokudera. Formerly of the Colombo Famiglia; it’s unclear who disowned who. Called Smoking Bomb. His signature weapon is explosives; other notable skills include Flame technology, piano, and hot drinks.” Hot fucking drinks?

*** 

Tsuna snuggled into Hayato’s chest and breathed in the scent of the mocha Hayato had made for him.

“Any injuries, Cielo mio?”

“Nothing that Matteo-sensei didn’t fix up right away.” He had kept up with Xanxus well enough, but the Varia Boss had hardly been at his best. He looked over at the two boxes of rings lying open on his nightstand. 

“I still can’t believe I’m going to be wearing one of those,” said Hayato.

“It’s a wrinkle I didn’t want to deal with just yet.” He hadn’t even started high school; the crisp new uniforms hung in his closet, ready to be worn in a few weeks’ time.

“If you can get Xanxus to talk, we could avoid the Ring Battles altogether.”

“I’ll teach him the zero-point counter either way. It wouldn’t be right to hold that over his head.” Tsuna smiled. “Besides, I still have a few advantages that the Varia don’t know about.”

“Gao.” On the rug, two feline box animals were curled up together, just like their humans.

*** 

“Rain Guardian and Left Hand, Takeshi Yamamoto.” They leaned into their Boss’s Flame; their desperate gamble, their leap of faith had landed them in a bonfire, and they were content. “Civilian-raised, but his father is the Autumn Rain, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi. Both swordsmen.”

“That who you were scrappng with, Shark?”

“Voi, yeah! The father’s Quality for sure, and the kid’s got a killer’s edge.” Those two would relish the chance to rain swords down on each other. “Mu. Takeshi has only one confirmed kill so far, possibly due to lack of targets. Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyoya, age eighteen.”

“Ushishishishishi, he’s a fun birdie.” And fierce enough to keep pace with their demon Prince. The Storm was quiet now, cradled against stormy Sky. Lightning spoke:

“Hibari is the Japanese pronunciation of the Yunque Clan, isn’t it.”

“Indeed. The clan has sworn fealty to Yin Tian.” They let the wave of profanity roll over them, and consulted their mental notes. “There is little information about the next two. Lightning Guardian, Haru Miura and Mist Guardian, Chrome Dokuro. Both from civilian backgrounds, both harmonised on the same day, and are possibly a Resonant pair.”

*** 

“Then Xanxus was like ‘Rawrr!’ and Boss was like ‘vip’!” Haru waved her arms, acting out the fight for Kyoko. “Then he hit him into a tree and it was super cool!”

“Haru, you say that about everything Boss does,” said Kyoko.

“Hahi, it’s true though.” Boss was awesome at everything he did – whether it was fighting or dancing or writing letters. It had been so exciting to watch him throw Xanxus around the amphitheatre! And she had gotten to see Viper-san again, and Prince Bel, and their friends were there too.

“The Varia officers seem nice,” Chrome murmured.

“We did just help their Boss,” said Kyoko. “That’s another reason I hope we can avoid Ring battles. Sensei would be all right, probably Kyoya too. But what about you two?”

“Hahi, don’t worry. Haru has a cunning plan!”

“Oh, dear.”

*** 

“And then there’s the Sun Guardian. Reborn, the World’s Greatest Hitman.” Lussuria glanced at the image of his counterpart while he flitted around the suite. There was so much to do – collect feathers for Boss’s hair, top up his glass, pick up his boots for polishing. Young Tsuna had been as good as his word; Boss has some rather dashing scars, but no other damage that his Sun could find. “Reborn was originally hired by the Ninth to train Tsunayoshi, but has since severed his contract. He is using the alias ‘Matteo Rica’.”

“Voi, why isn’t he the Right Hand?” asked Squalo. 

Xanxus opened his mouth to answer, paused, and settled on, “It’s a Sky thing, Shark.”

“It takes one to know one, darling!” Lussuria knew it better than most. Levi, his brother from another mother, stood at parade rest beside the Boss’s chair; not many people got how they fit together. The sun spread her energy all over the place and the lightning aimed it all on a single point. But through thick and thin they shone together – brighter when their Sky was near.

“You can fucking bet Reborn’s doing a lot of shit in the background.”

*** 

Tsuyoshi scratches his neck as Reborn’s Flame washes over him. “Ahaha, thanks for looking after me.”

“You should have said something sooner.” Reborn smacks him lightly on the head. “You have a Sun on your staff, don’t you?”

“It’s Shiro’s day off, and I didn’t want to be a bother over some small cuts …” Reborn smacks the other side of his head; Tsuyoshi lets him. He knows better than to leave wounds untended, and using his Rain to stop the bleeding does not count. The excitement of an opponent as strong as Squalo is getting the better of his common sense.

“It runs in the family,” Reborn grumbles.

“Maa, is there something bothering Takeshi?” He has been on edge, but that could just be the Varia project that even Tsuyoshi knows little about.

“Did he happen to mention that Fluffy-Tsuna has a new Rain Element?”

“Briefly … ah. My silly boy does have a bit of a competitive streak.” The trick was to help him express it in healthy ways; for Takeshi that meant ways that did not lead to a pile of corpses. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“I have a few ideas, and so does Tsuna.”

*** 

“Voi, if those are his Guardians, who are the other seven?” Squalo is having a hard time wrapping his head around the idea. Sure, Vongola Skies are powerful, but he’s never heard of any with more than one of each before.

The next illusion Viper displays is a little kid in a cowboy costume. “Second-seat Lightning, Lambo Bovino, age seven. Calls himself ‘Lucky Lambo, the quickest draw in the West’.” Xanxus snorts at the reference, and Squalo grins. He’ll never say so out loud, but it’s a relief to be warm again; he sits down in front of Xanxus’s chair and leans against it. Viper is still talking. “Of note is that the Bovino Famiglia has not been informed of lambo’s status.” He knows some of the context behind that from listening to Dino. It takes a special kind of Stupid to send a preschooler to kill an Arcobaleno.

Speaking of, the next image is instantly recognizable. “Second seat Storm, Eye of the Storm Fon; he Harmonised with Tsuna after the Arcobaleno curse was broken. He is also a member of the Yunque Clan.” No wonder they’ve put their allegiance on Yin Tian. And with that kind of power base, he doesn’t _need_ the Vongola; maybe they can persuade him to let Xanxus have the title. The Boss grabs a handful of Squalo’s hair and lets it slide through his fingers. A shiver goes up his spine. He’s gotten used to the length, but he still intends to see his vow through.

“Fon’s main role is in training the younger Elements. Likewise for the second-seat Mist. Kawahira, also known as Checkerface, former administrator of the Arcobaleno. He claims to be nonhuman and three thousand years old.”

“Voi, that’s as believable as that Stupid space alien rumor.” And why neither of those two had been bumped up to Guardian over a couple of teenagers was beyond him. Sky logic was weird.

“Threat level?” growled Xanxus.

“Unknown. Mu, he successfully conned _me,_ so make of that what you will.”

*** 

Fon poured two cups of fragrant tea, and placed one in front of his silver-haired elder. Kawahira thanked him by tapping his knuckles on the table in the Chinese manner.

“This is a pleasant surprise, Fon. Most of your comrades would rather avoid my company, at best.”

Reborn did enjoy his grudges. Fon sipped his tea serenely. “I prefer to consider you a fellow victim of circumstance. And it is pleasant to share a drink after an assignment.”

“So it is.” Their assistance had not been needed; they had merely watched from the trees while Tsunayoshi matched the Varia Sky blow for blow and concluded the match to his advantage. “Boss made good use of your training today,” Kawahira said. 

“It would mean nothing without his aptitude,” Fon replied. “I must meditate on it; no doubt Master will require my feedback on his performance.” He raised his cup again. Tsunayoshi and his Guardians were scattered back to their homes, and silence reigned in their secret base. It was a brief respite to be savored. “Have you any thoughts about out guests?”

“They seem professional, in the best sense of the word.” Kawahira smiled mysteriously. “I look forward to what may develop with them.”

***

“Sun second-seat, Kyoko Sasagawa. Civilian background, though her brother is also an Active Sun. Reborn is training her in information control and protocol.”

Levi settled his weight into his stance and let Viper’s words roll past him. He was back in his place at his Boss’s side, ready to provide whatever support Xanxus asked for. Even if they ended up in Ring Battles, though Levi was less enthusiastic about the prospect now that he’d seen the Tsuna kid’s Guardians. Why? Because it went against his sense of honor to hit a girl – but he _would_ , if his Boss asked him to. And he had long since learned not to underestimate anyone Flame Active because of their gender.

“Mist third and fourth seat, the supposed Deamon Spade, and Mukuro Rokudo, formerly of the Estraneo Famiglia.”

“Estraneo? Are those fuckers still around?” asked Xanxus.

“Ushishishishishi, not once the Pineapple was through with them!”

Lussuria laughed. “Serves them right, darlings!”

Levi took a second look at Viper’s illusion. “He related to the Chrome chick?”

“They are half siblings,” Viper replied. An odd family, but Levi could hardly talk. He still remembered the day he met Luss; though they had no blood in common, they had clicked immediately. Levi was used to getting flack; gangsters mocked him for being educated, and academics sneered at his rough looks and speech. He wasn’t sure why he’d started taking hits to pay his tuition, but he’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Why? Because it led to meeting his unique family and a place where he could belong.

Xanxus gave him a look as if he knew what Levi was thinking. Levi kept his spine straight, determined to treat his station with the respect it deserved. Xanxus snorted and downed his bourbon. “Last one, right?”

“Indeed, said Viper. “In fact, Yin Tian’s most recent harmonisation occurred while we were en route, and I only received word of it this morning.” The illusion they created this time had a familiar face. “The second-seat Rain is Basil, a CEDEF agent.”

*** 

The kitchen lies pristine once more, dinner dishes cleaned and stored away, and Basil lingers at table with coffee cup in hand. He ponders a sheaf of notes thinner than his wont, while Nana – his stepmother, what a wonder – lays her tools in readiness for the morrow. “How was exploring Namimori, Basil-kun?”

“A most diverting puzzle, milady. The townsfolk have made an art of silence.”

Nana giggles. Though new come to the Question Game, she is a most wicked player. “Does anyone owe you a drink?”

“Fewer than I should like.” He rolls his eyes at his own folly. “I would fain have milord brother confirm my suppositions, but alas he hath retired early.”

“Ara, he and Hayato are having some alone time.” Her eyes are all a-sparkle with delight; with a Rain’s subtlety does she egg the young lovers on. “Do you have a special someone in your life, Basil-kun?”

Mayhap. He has scarce spoken a word to the young lady; who can say if aught will come of it. 

*** 

Xanxus laughed his ass off at the fluffy Sky swiping an agent from under his father’s nose. The fucking jackass had it coming. “Shit’s crazy enough for Vongola, that’s for fucking sure.”

“Mu, shall I go into persons of interest?” Fuck no, they’d be talking all _night_. It was dark outside; Xanxus had drunk a whole bottle of bourbon – got no more than a buzz from it, as usual – and he’d had the longest fucking day in _history_. “Save it, trash. Is Fluffy serious about sharing the counter to that ice shit?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Set it up, trash. I’m fucking off to bed.”

His Guardians all looked at each other. Squalo said, “We’ll draw cards for it?”

Xanxus grinned. They had nine years of missing him to make up for – and he was still worked up from some intense fights. “Fuck that, there’s enough of me to go around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hayato's birth family: 'Falco' (hawk) has been done, so I went with 'Colombo' (dove) instead. The more I thought about it, the funnier it was. For one thing, 'Bianchi Colombo' means '(masculine) white dove'. She is not pleased about this.
> 
> Also, some much needed positive spin for Levi. I have no idea why so many writers seem to have a problem with him; he's a fascinating character.


	4. Chapter 4

Tsuna was at the secret base bright and early the next day to prepare for his training session with Xanxus. He already had boxes of iced mice stockpiled; Haru helped him carry them out to the amphitheatre. Mukuro, as usual when they practiced on animal subjects, was supervising.

Tsuna fidgeted with the boxes. Although he’d been planning his Elements’ training for a while now, this was the first time he would be teaching someone himself. Sure, he had been on the receiving end of many training methods, but did that translate to applying them? Not to mention that Xanxus was older than him, a Boss in his own right, and by now Viper would have filled him in on who Tsuna was. Super awkward.

Xanxus stalked out of the trees with all his Elements clustered around him, still clingy. He pinned Tsuna with a crimson glare. “All set up, Fluffy?”

“Ready when you are, Xanxus-san.” He looked a lot better now that he was cleaned up and rested; Haru was drooling a little. Squalo leered at her.

“Voi, see something you like?”

“Haru only has feelings for Boss … but I kind of want to see Xanxus-san in leather pants.”

Lussuria grinned. “Haru, honey, you are speaking my _language_! We must have tea and conversation.”

“Hahi, and cake?”

“For fuck’s sake, they’re bonding,” growled Xanxus. “Let’s get on with it, trash.”

Tsuna’s Elements scowled at his tone; Tsuna just handed him a frozen mouse. The counter to the Zero-Point Breakthrough wasn’t complicated. It took effort, a bit of control, and the right angle of approach. Tsuna still didn’t know how to _explain_ it – Hayato had tried to help, but it came out even more confusing. He could show it, though, and an hour later Xanxus had thawed a whole tub full of scurring mice. He grinned every time he set one loose, which made Tsuna feel bad about what he had to say next.

“That’s not all there is to it, if you’re going to need this counter in a fight. Hold out your arm, please?”

Xanxus’s Elements took an alarmed step towards them, but Xanxus waved them off. “Stand the fuck down, trash, he’s got a fucking point.” He glared at Tsuna. “Just the arm?”

“Just the arm, I promise.” That took more control than freezing a whole body, but if there was one thing Tsuna was good at, it was Flame control. He encased Xanxus’s forearm in ice, then stepped back. Xanxus thumped his arm against his leg experimentally, and then focused on the counter technique. The ice was more difficult to break from the inside. Sweat beaded on Xanxus’s forehead, and he was pale with more than effort. It took him two minutes to get free, much too slow to use in battle. Xanxus scowled; he knew it too. Tsuna gave him his gentlest smile and said, “Again.”

*** 

Xanxus panted for breath after throwing off Tsuna’s latest Zero-point. This training was fucking _exhausting_ – not great for his mental health either, but he would deal with that shit later. They’d been at it all fucking morning, and Tsuna hadn’t let up for a _moment_. Who would guess that the fluffball was such a hardass?

In this final round, Tsuna kept the Zero-point going continuously while Xanxus tried to push it off him. By the end of it, Xanxus was down on one knee, too fucking tired to _stand_ , but he’d done it. He’d beaten the fucking ice. Tsuna held out a hand to him. “I think you’ve got it now.”

“Che, thanks.” Xanxus took his hand – more for courtesy than needing the fucking help. Really. Then he ran the last few minutes back through his mind.

Fluffy had put Xanxus on his knees. And Xanxus had thanked him for it. What the actual fuck? “Brat, we gotta talk.”

Tsuna nodded. “Say, an hour from now? That way we can both eat and get cleaned up.”

“Deal.”

*** 

When Xanxus arrived at Tsuna’s office, the brat was already waiting for him, sitting on a sofa with a grey tabby on his lap. Xanxus scowled at him. “Really? You’re going to do this while holding a fucking _cat_?”

“Well, I do have an offer, but you’re free to refuse it.” Tsuna giggled. “This is D-san, one of my Mists.”

“Yeah, Viper told me.”

The cat hopped down and strolled through the door, saying, “Have fun, kids. And no hickeys!” Tsuna rolled his eyes. 

The room was a standard setup, two sofas with a coffee table between them; Xanxus sat down across from Tsuna. “There’s no point in beating around the fucking bush. Lay it all on the table for me.”

“Okay.” And he literally laid something on the table – a ring. _The_ Ring. The Vongola Sky Ring, complete, right fucking there in grabbing distance. Xanxus’s hands clenched. 

“How the fuck did you get that?”

“CEDEF sent us a set of decoy rings after the Varia extracted you, and I like to stay ahead of things.” So, what, forty-eight hours to swipe some fucking heavily secured artefacts from the other side of the world. Maybe that Mist really was Daemon fucking Spade.

“And you think I’m going to just fucking hand over the Vongola to you?”

“Not necessarily.” Tsuna’s eyes glowed orange as he stared at the Ring. “You know, I never heard of the Vongola until Reborn showed up to train me? And I already hold Namimori and the Hibari Clan … Still, I wouldn’t hand the ring to you unless I was sure you’d make a better Don than me.”

“And how the fuck am I going to prove that?” Not with a fistfight, that was for fucking sure. The Ring Battles might be a Tradition – and there was something fucking _satisfying_ about an opponent that could pound him into the dirt – but fucking Don Vongola needed to be _more_ than that. This, right here, was the real Ring Battle.

“Belphegor told me you want the Vongola to be strong,” said Tsuna. “But he couldn’t say why. And I’ve heard from Viper-san, Reborn, Lal, even Timoteo what they think your coup was about. But you’re the only one who can really answer that. Why, Xanxus-san? Why do you want this ring so badly that you attacked your father over it?”

Nono _wasn’t_ his fucking father, and that was part of the fucking problem. Not the _heart_ of it, though, the brat had that much right. Power. He’d seen it when they took him from the slums into their fancy mansion, where there was no threat of cold, of hunger, or the many dangers that lurked in the fucking streets. Strength was supposed to mean _safety_ , but Nono had still gotten Enrico killed. Massimo and Federico too. If Vongola couldn’t keep its heirs alive, what fucking _use_ was all its power? Xanxus was ranting, fucking _yelling_ in Tsuna’s face, and the brat didn’t flinch back from his Flames.

“Your goals are much like mine, then,” he said.

“What the fuck do _you_ want with the Vongola, then?” The brat took out a fucking chart, and started talking. He had plans so long-term his grandkids would be finishing them – and his idea of short term was five fucking years. A lot of it was scribbled over with fresh notes.

“I’ve been re-thinking how to approach a few things because of, well, you. And there’s also the problem of Iemitsu sticking his nose in. He could insist on Ring Battles no matter what we decide today.”

The External Advisor did have the power to do that, and Xanxus wouldn’t put it past the jackass to fuck over his own son. He’d already done it once. Speaking of, “You’re not worried about the old man fucking shit up?”

Fluffy giggled and scratched his neck. “Oh, you know, I have plenty of leverage on him. Did you know that it’s against Vindice law to put a Flame seal on a Sky? I convinced them to treat it as an internal matter, but if I’m not the Don by my twenty-first birthday, they’ll arrest Timoteo.” Convinced the _Vindice_? What the hell? Tsuna waved at the Ring on the table. “If you want him in Vindicare to pay for what he’s done, all you need to do is take this ring.”

Xanxus was over a fucking barrel. Sure he wanted payback, but Timoteo was also the closest thing he had to a father. Xanxus had spent years trying to _impress_ him, for fuck’s sake. Tsuna had cornered him fair and square; he was sharp under all that fluff. And he had balls of fucking _steel_. He didn’t need to give Xanxus a say in all this, didn’t need to thaw him out at all, but he still had so that he could face Xanxus like a fucking _man_. Tossed him all around the field, too. Ring battles or no, Xanxus still wanted a rematch; he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to win.

He paused. Yes, he really had just fucking thought that. He _didn’t want to win_.

“Fuck it. Gimme your hand.” Fluffy knew _The Godfather_ , he’d get this. Xanxus slid the Ring onto Tsuna’s finger and kissed it. Tsuna squeaked, but Xanxus barely noticed that past the sudden onslaught of Sky Flames. They slammed into him like a freight train and it felt fucking _amazing_. It felt – he knew what it felt like, just not from this end. He raised his eyes to _his Sky_ , who was staring back at him with wide amber eyes. For once, Xanxus had no fucking idea what to do.

Tsuna patted the sofa next to him. “Do you want to come over here?”

Yeah. Yeah, he fucking did.

*** 

While the two Bosses are having their private conference, Squalo and his counterpart Right Hand are in the café just outside – this base is weird – having their own conversation. “Seven languages? How does that work?” asks Gokudera.

“Voi, the Varia’s admin languages are Italian and English, so everyone has to have those, plus their native language.” Squalo is proud; the Varia are Quality and he has kept them that way. “One is allowed to be a fun language, like Klingon or some shit. Some guys specialise in a region or language group, some go for global coverage. Seven’s the minimum, anyway; Levi knows like twenty.”

“I guess Mist makes it easier than studying for each one.”

“People still get super nerdy about it. Voi, there’s even a language club, Levi is the pres – ” He breaks off as a weird-ass sensation rolls over him. Almost like when Boss harmonises with an Element; Squalo turns his head that way – and Gokudera does the same. “Voi, you felt that?”

“ _You_ felt that?” They stare at each other, and Squalo realises what just happened. He knows Xanxus has as much Storm as Sky. And the only other person in there is the Sky kid … Squalo lurches to his feet, intending to check on his Boss, but Gokudera catches his sleeve. “We should probably give them some alone time. Just saying.”

“Voi, you think?” The other Right Hand is a Storm too, so he’d know. “What the fuck do we do now?”

“I’ll put the coffee on. Then we tell our people what happened.” Gokudera shrugs. “Anything after that is up to the Boss.”

“Which one?” snarks Squalo, but he takes out his phone. It’s not like he gets much detail from the bond – usually how pissed off Xaanxus is. (And ice, but he’s trying to forget that.) What he’s sensing now is nothing he’s familiar with; he keeps his cool long enough to send a text to his fellow officers, then strides over to the door and throws it open.

The scene within leaves him gaping. Xanxus is sprawled over most of a sofa, with his head in Tsuna’s lap. Tsuna has his hand on Xanxus’s throat, stroking it, and Xanxus arches into it in a way that says he’s far from resisting.

“Voi! Having a good time, Boss?”

Xanxus cracks an eye open to glare at him. “Trash, you have _no_ fucking idea.”

Tsuna also gives him an annoyed look. “Knocking, Superbi-san; have you heard of it?”

“Told you,” Gokudera says over his shoulder. “Coffee’s ready in ten; how does Xanxus take it?”

“With whiskey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could possibly go wrong now ...?
> 
> Xanxus's relationship with Timoteo is complicated, to say the least.
> 
> In this verse, The Godfather is based on a true story; the Corleones were a Sky line, and the Director was Flame-aware. That is why he put oranges in various scenes.
> 
> And, what polyglot assassins do in their down time.


	5. Chapter 5

Xanxus didn’t bother remembering how, but the Varia eventually made it back to their hotel suite; showered, changed and a nightcap in his hand. Tsuna’s Harmony went right down to his fucking bones, and he hadn’t felt _close_ to this good since before Enrico died. “Fucking hell, is this what it was like for all of you?” Five nods. “ _Fuck._ ” Bel was already curled up against him; Xanxus pulled him closer and buried his nose in Bel’s hair. He knew they needed him – knew he _mattered_ to them – but feeling the intensity of it himself, there were no fucking words.

“What now, Boss?” Levi rumbled quietly.

“Short term? Get to know your step-Guardians, or whatever the fuck you want to call them. Some of you already got a head start on that.”

“Ushishishishi …”

Xanxus snorted. “Shark, how long can the Varia keep its shit together with all the fucking officers off site?”

“Voi, we planned for this! All the troublemakers are out on missions, Levi’s Lightning Strike squad is securing HQ, and the old hands are keeping the newbs in line. We’ve got another ten days or so.”

Good; they all needed to get their mental shit sorted out before jumping back into the fucking Italian underworld. Not to mention whatever the fuck CEDEF was up to.

“May I assume the Vongola succession is now settled?” asked Viper.

“What the fuck do _you_ think, trash?” He’d made his choice, and it had turned out _so fucking good_ , holy fuck.

“Mu, then I have a chance to manipulate the betting pools.”

Squalo, meanwhile, was pacing around the room. “Voi, what am I supposed to do with my hair, though? I made a fucking oath!”

Xanxus, who had expected him to bring that up, tossed a pack of hair elastics at him.

*** 

It was around five in the morning when Reborn’s phone dragged him out of a sound sleep. Anything but an urgent call should have gone to voice mail; he blinked blearily at the caller ID, and picked up. “Timoteo, do you have any idea what time it is here?”

“Yes, and I apologise, Reborn. This is a matter of greatest urgency.” 

If the urgent matter wasn’t connected to Xanxus’s release, Reborn would eat his hat. “I’m listening.”

“I have just discovered that both sets of Vongola half-rings are missing.” 

Reborn stretched his hand out in front of him, the Vongola Sun Ring glittering on it. That made two out of three sections of the Tri-Ni-Sette he had carried; maybe the third would grant him phenomenal cosmic powers. Or possibly turn him into a newt. “Any leads?” 

“I don’t yet know how it was done, but I must suppose that the Varia are responsible. I regret laying this responsibility on him so soon, but Tsunayoshi may need to take care of them.”

Reborn smirked; his fluffy student was already taking excellent care of Xanxus and his Guardians. Tsuna sat up in his bed, woken by the noise, and rubbed his eyes. Reborn turned his phone so Tsuna could see the caller data. “Is he asking about the rings?” Tsuna murmured. “You might as well throw him a bone.”

True, there was no point in Nono wasting resources on a wild goose chase. “I’m having a bit of fun with you, Timoteo; I know that the rings are already in Namimori. And I have every confidence in my student’s abilities.”

*** 

Hayato started the morning pleasantly sore. He could have used his sliver of Sun to heal himself, but he would rather enjoy the marks of how thoroughly Tsuna-sama had had his way with him. He had _rope burns_.

Tsuna-sama was truly magnificent, worthy of anything Hayato could give him. He had commanded submission from Xanxus – a Boss, a Sky – and just the thought of it made Hayato’s heart race and his knees weak. He barely slept and rose early, the better to have Tsuna-sama’s coffee ready for him; once it was brewed, he waited on his knees for his Sky to appear.

“Good morning, Hayato!”

“Decimo.” Hayato nuzzled his Sky’s slippers; Tsuna-sama bent down to scratch his ears, which turned him entirely to jelly. Anything Tsuna-sama wanted was in his grasp, and he wanted Hayato. Wanted to see his happiness, to _touch_ him.

“Ara, ara, someone’s affectionate today.” Nana slipped gracefully around them and started laying out breakfast. Tsuna-sama blushed, but he didn’t let go of Hayato.

“Once school starts we’ll have to act normal again. So right now I’ll indulge a bit.” Hayato was grateful for it; right now, he didn’t have the wherewithal to get up off the floor.

Nana giggled and said, “Will I get the chance to meet your new friends?”

“Sure; you could come by the base tomorrow, we’ll make a picnic of it.” He leaned down and whispered in Hayato’s ear, “I’ll put you in a leash for the day.” Hayato would look forward to it eagerly.

*** 

When Tsuna arrived at Takesushi that morning, the Yamamotos had a breakfast guest. Squalo was sitting at the table with them, deep in a discussion of sword techniques with much waving of chopsticks. As Tsuna came in, Tsuyoshi paused to bow to him. “Good morning, Tsuna-sama.”

“Hi, Tsuna!” Takeshi chimed in, and Squalo followed along awkwardly,

“Good morning, uh, Voi, what do I even call you?”

“Tsuna is fine.” He wouldn’t count on it though; Takeshi was the only one in his family who used his name without some kind of title – some more absurd than others. They were all meant sincerely, so it would be selfish of Tsuna to make them stop. “Anyway, Takeshi, you’re with me today. And Tsuyoshi-kun, can you get the diagram off the notice board?”

The piece of card was running out of space; Tsuna had started it when he had just two Guardians, and never dreamed how big his family would become. The six-petaled flower represented himself and his primary Guardians, with dots around it for the others. There was enough room beside Fon’s dot for another flower representing Xanxus and his officers. It would balance the three indigo dots around Chrome’s petal. The Cloud petal between them was unlikely to ever need extra space, and with the addition of Basil, each of the other three had one dot. It was … elegant. For now.

“It’s been a while since it was just me, you and Hayato, hasn’t it?” Tsuna said as he and Takeshi set off down the street.

“Ahaha, things have gotten exciting since then.” To a Rain, that wasn’t always a good thing, and Takeshi’s smile was flat and lifeless. Tsuna poked him.

“What have I told you about faking smiles? If something’s bothering you, tell me; I worry, you know.” Takeshi had a tendency to fade into the background – rarely the center of attention, but always there to help things go smoothly. It made him a great Left Hand, but meant that Tsuna had to pay extra attention to taking care of him properly.

“It’s nothing much,” Takeshi said, scratching his neck.

“Now I’m really worried,” Tsuna answered, only half joking.

“…Do you think I can be a good sempai, Tsuna?”

Ah, so it was about Basil. “You’re already a mentor for Lambo and I-pin; you’ve helped Ken and Chikusa too. I don’t think you need to be that for Basil, too; you should find a role that suits the two of you, not anybody else.” He Harmonised with his Elements based on who they were, not to change them into somebody else. “Anyway, Basil’s skills are totally different from yours, so there’s no reason to compete …” He caught the way Takeshi’s eyes slid aside. “You _want_ to compete. To have a rival.”

“Ahaha, you don’t mind?”

Tsuna giggled. “Have you seen Matteo-sensei and Kawahira? Or Kyoya-san and Belphegor? As long as there’s no permanent harm done. I wonder if Basil plays any sports?”

This time, Takeshi’s smile was bright. “I’ll be sure to find out.”

“In the meantime, we’re here.” Which was the Hibari compound; the watchman, one of Tsuna’s current pair of Hibari honor guards, bowed them through the gate.

“Maa, if I’d known we were going to visit Hibari-san … I’d have brought a salad.”

“Hieee?!”

Hibari’s tonfas suddenly knocked Takeshi into a bush. “I heard that, carnivore.”

*** 

Elsewhere, Belphegor was paying a call on his royal protégé. “Greetings, cousin,” Fuuta said carefully. “I trust you have been well?”

“Ushishishishi, I have, cousin.” Especially in these last two days, with Xanxus back among his court. He had wasted no time reasserting his rule, and Belphegor grinned at the memory. “And you, cousin?”

“I’ve been very well, thank you. And thank you again for the crown, it’s beautiful.” But of course; every Prince should have his own crown. Following proper royal etiquette, Fuuta offered him tea.

“You are doing well with your studies,” said Belphegor.

“Really? It’s difficult sometimes …”

“Ushishishi, that is how Royalty show our superiority over the peasants.” When he cast aside his home and name, he had not expected to be in noble company again. And when Xanxus took him as a vassal, he never thought the Wrath would do homage to another. Yin Tian’s court was a fine place for a young Prince to hone his skills.

*** 

This ‘secret base’ was fucking weird, and Xanxus had seen a lot of fucking bases. Despite being a literal fucking shopping mall, the place was kitted out; kitchen and meeting hall, bunks, office and workshops, even a fucking _hot tub_. And then there was the snake pit for that extra fucking supervillain flair. The whole place was soaked in Tsuna’s Flames, and half his crew was underfoot.

Smokin’ Bomb had his head together with Viper over a laptop and a stack of mobile phones. Xanxus was still trying to figure out his shiny fucking new phone, since his old one was nine fucking years out of date. Viper had put a heavy duty case on it, knowing that he would fling it against a fucking wall more than once.

Grumbling under his breath, he wandered into the café to rummage through the snack cupboard. “Is there any fucking booze in here?”

“I wish.” A girl he hadn’t met yet was reading a comic book in one of the booths; her Flame flared, and it was fucking Cloud. How the fuck did this town have _two_ active fucking Clouds at the same time? She wasn’t bad looking, either, even when she was aiming a less than amused glare at him. “And don’t look at me like that; to me you’re just the biggest monkey in the pack.”

He grinned. “Call me Kong, then.”

*** 

Squalo lurks at the edge of the clearing where Fon is practicing kata; he’s being patient. Not dithering. Really. Fon is his only option; Lussuria might know what he wants to learn, but he’d rather get through this with his dignity intact.

Fon concludes his kata and turns to face him. “Signore Superbi, it has been some time. We met in Bangkok, I believe.” And he beat Squalo like an egg, despite only coming up to his knee. “I perceive you have a request to make of me.”

God, this is going to be embarrassing. It’s the only way, though; Squalo takes his oaths seriously, damnit. “Shifu Fon, can you teach me how to braid my hair?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It turned you into a newt?"  
> "Of course I got better, Fluffy-Tsuna. I'm the World's Greatest Hitman after all."
> 
> Tsuna's diagram has been mentioned many times now, so [here](http://fav.me/ddsuy3x) is a drawing of it courtesy of my shiny new Deviantart account. (A few more illustrations coming; they'll be linked in the notes of the relevant chapters.)


	6. Chapter 6

Xanxus was sure this was the first time the Varia had been invited to a fucking picnic. Tsuna had said to bring whatever they could manage, not that any of them could fucking _cook_. Xanxus ended up ordering a shitload of tempura and chicken wings from the hotel kitchen. Levi had it all on a cooler on his shoulder.

If the base was busy before, today it was fucking hectic. All of Tsuna’s Elements, plus associates – Xanxus had finally gotten Viper to report on the persons of interest – and their pets. Was that a fucking lion? And in the middle of it all, Sky glowing like a furnace, was Tsuna. He had his Right Hand on a fucking leash, kneeling at his feet while Tsuna stroked his hair. He smiled and waved as the Varia came up the path. “Hi, Xanxus!”

“Morning, Aniki.” He had put some thought into what he was going to call his Sky. ‘Trash’ was right out. ‘Boss’ was too generic. ‘Master’ was too fucking formal; Fon could pull that off, but Xanxus would sound like an idiot. He’d settled on borrowing a yakuza term.

Tsuna sighed. “I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to use my name.”

“Make me.”

Tsuna gave him a calculating look and turned away. Xanxus grinned; he was _so_ fucked.

*** 

Kyoko waved Lussuria over to the table where the Cake Appreciation Club was gathered. “Would you like some cake, Lussuria-san?”

“I’d be delighted, darlings.” The Sun officer was female today, and wearing a ruffled ankle-length dress. Seeing this, Hana decided to climb down from the top of the arbour and join them. 

“At least one of you is capable of being civilised.”

“I do try.” Lussuria flounced into a chair. “And who is this little cutie?” she said to the golden flying squirrel sitting on the table.

“That’s my Box Animal, Fuu.” Kyoko petted Fuu’s back, and the squirrel chirped. Besides being adorably huggable, Fuu had keen senses and could get nearly anywhere, the better to gather information with.

Lussuria’s eyebrows rose above her shades. “As in Lorenzini’s box animals? Yin Tian’s family is just full of surprises!”

“Mine is Aomaru,” said Haru, pointing out the green dog lying under the table. 

“Splendid! Are all the animals here Box Animals?”

“Most of them; Hibird, Lichi and Leon are real.” For certain definitions of ‘real’ anyway; Leon wasn’t a normal chameleon by any means. They spent a little while commenting on the box animals which were in sight; from Reborn’s ferret, to Hibari’s hedgehog, to Kawahira’s parrot. Lussuria was much more vivacious than Kyoko expected for a professional assassin.

“So, how did you meet Xanxus?” she asked. Lussuria smirked.

“Didn’t you discover that in your research, darling?”

“That can tell me when and where, not what it was like,” Kyoko responded. She was itching with curiosity; the Varia were so different from Tsuna’s Elements, but just as close with each other.

Lussuria ran a hand through her hair. “Levi and I were already Varia officers then; Squalo fought the old Boss in the entry hall, then Xanxus came in and swept us all off our feet. It was marvelous~!” She grinned. “How was it for you?”

“Oh, I’ve gone to school with Tsuna forever. I barely noticed him for years. Haru’s been stalking him since fifth grade, though.”

“Hahi!” haru gulped down the piece of cake she was eating. “At first it was because I saw him feeding stray cats …”

*** 

He sat on the edge of a planter, his tail flicking as he studied yet another impossibly familiar face. In years past, he thought the resemblance an amusing coincidence. Now, in light of his Sky and his Elements – 

“What are you looking at, trash?”

“A clone of the Secundo, if I didn’t know better. An unsettling pattern emerges.” The young Wrath grew up around the portraits, he should notice it too.

“Yeah, that’s fucked up. If there was a Knuckle copy running around I’d be really worried.”

He laid his ears back. “He’s here. Just not part of the inner circle. It’s like the Family was created by a cartoonist on a deadline.”

Xanxus snorted and gulped his drink. “Look who’s fucking talking, Simba. Are you really a ghost?”

“Are you really as much of a beast as you act?”

“Answer that yourself first, fuckwit.” Yes, just like Ricardo.

*** 

The gathering naturally broke up into smaller groups; Tsuna went around to each cluster in turn, or they approached him to pay their respects to him as head of the family. It was an absurd concept … but very much worth it. He ran his hand through Hayato’s hair; his Right Hand had been on his leash all day, and now that Tsuna had settled on a seat by the café’s windows, he leaned his head on Tsuna’s leg. 

On the other side, Xanxus sprawled out with his head on Tsuna’s lap; Fon waited at his feet to do any errand Tsuna wanted. His Hibari honor guards had taken positions by the door. (Honor guards. At a picnic. The Mafia was ridiculous.) At a nearby table, Tsuyoshi was showing Nana and Bianchi a way of cutting green onions. The onion that Bianchi had in front of her was wilted, but otherwise all right.

A burst of music caught his attention, and a moment later, Reborn dashed past with a Leon-stereo blaring _‘Everybody was kung-fu fighting.’_ Hibari was in hot pursuit, striking at the stereo with his tonfas. Did that count as a date?

“My trash are gonna fit right in,” said Xanxus.

“That’s good. It’s an unusual situation.”

“Yeah, I talked with your creepy fucking Mist – ”

“Which one?”

“The one that’s older than fucking dirt. He said he’d never seen it before either.” Not so strange, when both Skies and dual Flames were so rare. “Is he really three thousand years old?”

“Who even knows?”

The back door of the café opened and Basil came in; Tsuna’s intuition twinged. Basil came straight to him and bowed. “Milord brother.” He was covered all over with small round bruises.

“What happened to you, Basil-nii?”

“A most vigorous round of table tennis. ’Tis of no consequence.” Basil shrugged. “Though I be loath to cast a shadow on thy day – ”

“What’s the jackass done now?” growled Xanxus.

“Alas, thou hast the right of it, Sir Xanxus. I have received word from my erstwhile master; he hath, by his station as External Advisor, declared a Ring Battle to be held.”

“The hell?” said Hayato. Xanxus added, “Fuck.” 

The worst thing was that Vongola by-laws allowed Iemitsu to do that. “Let’s not, and say we did,” sighed Tsuna. “Did he even ask about the local situation first?”

“Nay, milord. Moreover, he hath announced publicly that said battles shall occur.”

Tsuna’s gaze lost focus as he considered the implications. With a public announcement, refusing to go along with the battles would suggest either weakness or internal division – neither of which the Vongola could afford to show. So Tsuna’s Guardians would get pitted against professional killers after all, in fights that were utterly meaningless since Xanxus had already surrendered the Sky Ring to him. “I _see._ ”

Basil gulped, and Tsuna realised that he was acting scary. He took a deep breath and reined in his temper. Hayato shifted under his hand. “It would be my honor to fight for you, Decimo.”

“I know.” Tsuna wove his fingers through Hayato’s hair. “This isn’t worth risking anyone’s life over, though.”

“Do you want us to throw the matches?” Xanxus said dubiously.

“No…” That would be an insult to both sides, and nearly as bad a start as a serious battle. “No, we just need a few rules of engagement. Like Tsuyoshi and Squalo the other day; make it about skill and capturing the rings, not hurting each other. And we make it clear that these are _friendly_ matches. How much control can we get on the time and place?”

Xanxus grinned up at him. “Technically, that’s up to the judges; in fucking reality, if both Skies and their guardians gang up on them, there’s not a fucking lot the judges can do.”

Tsuna smiled. “I can work with that. How are you going to handle the Cloud battle?”

“Squalo brought a robot or some shit.”

 _That_ could prove interesting. Tsuna looked at Basil again. “Did the External Advisor give you any other instructions?”

“Aye, milord. He bade me prepare a battleground with cameras aplenty. And … he cometh to view the Ring Battles in person.”

*** 

Tsuyoshi braces himself for an outburst; he can’t help overhearing his Boss’s conversation, and he has never witnessed Tsuna-sama so enraged. At Basil’s last statement, however, Tsuna-sama just pinches his nose for a long moment. 

“Nope,” he says eventually. “I do not have time to deal with him on top of everything else. We’re camping out at the base until this is done.” He gives his Mother a guilty look. “I’m sorry, mama …”

“Nonsense, Tsu-kun. You just leave That Man to me,” Nana says ever so sweetly. “I can’t imagine what he’s up to, forcing friends to fight each other.”

Tsuyoshi quirks an eyebrow at her. “You’re bothered about that, rather than them being assassins?”

“Oh, they’re dreadfully dangerous, I’m sure.” Outside the window, Lambo is riding on Levi’s shoulders; the older lightning stamps and snorts, making horns of his index fingers, pretending to be a bull. Not incidentally, he is also showing the children some real grappling moves. Levi goes down, thrashing theatrically while Lambo stomps all over his back.

Tsuyoshi shakes his head. “If there is any way I can assist, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’ll help.” Bianchi adds. The onion in front of her has dissolved into a puddle of slime. “Shamal too. And maybe Tsuyoshi can show you that Rain trick for acting clueless.”

“There’s not much to it,” says Tsuyoshi. “Just lean on your Flames and do what comes naturally.”

Nana gives him a blank, wide-eyed stare. “My Flames …?”

“Yes, just like that.”

Tsuna-sama giggles softly at the exchange, his anger – not forgotten, but deferred. “Thank you, Basil-nii. Please let me know if you hear anything else. And take some time for yourself; maybe you could ask Kyoko to help with those bruises?”

Basil blushes. “As thou sayest, milord brother.”

*** 

The box containing one set of half-rings sat on a table in the Varia’s suite, with Xanxus and all his officers gathered around it. The old man hadn’t even let Xanxus _look_ at these, and Tsuna handed them over like they were fucking nothing. Which they fucking weren’t. Tsuna owned his ass and _knew_ it; Xanxus was still getting used to the trust that came with that. It had only been two fucking days!

“Voi, this is Stupid.” Squalo passed Xanxus a glass of whiskey and poured one for himself. “Why did that jackass have to stick his nose in? We had this shit sorted out. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad we’re keeping it non-lethal.”

“Right there with you, darling,” sang Lussuria. Right; there was Quality, and then there was the fucking World’s Greatest Hitman.

“Ushishishi, the Prince was hoping for a more interesting fight.”

Xanxus hauled Belphegor into a headlock. “I bet you want to play with that fucking Cloud some more, huh, brat?”

“Ushishishishishi.” Belphegor squirmed in his grip. “Will Boss be able to battle his own Sky?”

If it got him pounded on like the first time, then _fuck_ yeah. “Man knows how to throw a punch.” Xanxus couldn’t lie to himself, he was fucking looking forward to getting slammed into the dirt. Though he had a feeling Tsuna wouldn’t make it that fucking easy.

*** 

Shoichi gulped as he spotted the pair of Cervello emerging from the train station. He stepped in front of them and bowed. “Ladies, I have been instructed to deliver these documents to you.” He held out a sheaf of papers; it contained a letter ‘suggesting’ a venue and schedule for the Ring battles, signed by both Tsuna and Xanxus; separate lists of the participants for each side; and a pamphlet on the Namimori Flame community by-laws. One Cervello examined the papers while the other went to the car rental desk.

“…These terms are acceptable. You are to provide a tour of the venue?”

“Yes, ma’am. At your convenience.” Why this task had fallen to him, Shoichi wasn’t sure. Maybe just because he could explain the recording equipment and was more presentable than Spanner. The other Cervello returned with a set of car keys and picked up their sparse luggage.

“We will go there now.”

A short drive later, and Shoichi was showing the pair the video setup at the base. “Camera five is here, it shows the amphitheatre from the north side …” His stomach quivered. The Cervello watched him with expressionless faces, taking notes on a tablet and barely saying a word. Add that they were attractive, near identical women, and Shoichi was a queasy bundle of nerves. “Er, and this is the recording station, these monitors correspond to each camera, and these buttons select the audio feed.”

Shoichi was glad not to be in the upper echelon of Tsuna-sama’s organisation; just the idea of fighting the Varia gave him the shivers. If there was one good thing about the current situation, though, they were finally, _finally_ getting electricity working at Kokuyo Land. “All data is recorded on memory cars here and here. I think that’s everything … was there anything else you wanted to know, ladies?”

The two Cervello looked at each other. Then back at him. The taller one said, “What is your relationship status?”

*** 

“Nana, I’m home!”

Nana brings a smile to her face and turns away from the stove. “Ara, husband, what a surprise!” Iemitsu moves in for an embrace; he’s still as handsome as she remembers, so she lets him. He won’t be getting further than that, though.

“And where’s my little Tsuna-fishie?”

“Oh, he’s gone camping with his friends.” Nana carefully leans into her Flames to make sure she looks properly oblivious. Basil has told her that Iemitsu doesn’t sense Flames well, and there are enough traces of Basil’s Rain around to camouflage hers. She’s still uneasy, but she can pass off the nerves as other sorts of tension. “If you’d sent word that you were coming, dear ...”

“I’ve missed a chance to go fishing with my Tsuna-fishie! Kids are so carefree, am I right?” Iemitsu spots the biscuits on the kitchen table and takes one. “Delicious; my wife is as talented as she is lovely.”

“Ara, they were a gift.” From Bianchi, some of her most subtle work yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for the fight scene!
> 
> Some hints at Basil/Kyoko. And in the crack pairing department, Shoichi/Cervello. Which Cervello? _All of them._


	7. Chapter 7

Xanxus took the time to make sure he was fucking spotless, from the feathers in his hair to the toes of his boots. If the Famiglia was supposed to save face with this bullshit, he would show them fucking _face_.

“Voi, you look like you’re on your way to a date,” Squalo told him.

“Yeah, with Aniki’s fists.” He was looking forward to a royal asskcking; his best outfit was going to get _shredded_ , and it would be fucking worth it. Squalo had his hair in one long braid with strands of blue and silver ribbon in it; all his officers were turned out in full uniform and armed to the teeth, ready for _all_ the fucking fun and games.

They met up with Tsuna’s crew for breakfast in the hotel restaurant – steak and eggs, fuck yeah – and all arrived at the arena together; a message only slightly more subtle than yelling in Iemitsu’s ear. The jackass was already there, along with Lal, Basil, and the pair of Cervello.

“Voi, the jackass is looking green in the face.”

Tsuna smiled innocently. “It must have been something he ate.”

Iemitsu had deep bags under his eyes and an untrimmed beard; he was clutching a thermos of coffee. “Did you have to start so early?” he grumbled. “It would be so much more convenient to hold these in the evening – preferably spread out over a week.”

One of the Cervello told him flatly, “We are neutral judges, and the battles will proceed as we have arranged. Your hangover is irrelevant.”

Tsuna ignored this in favour of settling his extended family on the rim of the amphitheatre. He was in a suit and tie for the show, and somehow managed _not_ to look like a kitten in a costume. In the suit, he showed his actual fucking strength, and fuck, their match was going to be the last one. Xanxus sprawled out on the blankets and grabbed a packet of beef jerky.

Tsuna’s tech-nerd minion limped over to them. “All the camera feeds are set up how you wanted them, Boss.”

“Thank you Shoichi. Are you all right?”

Shoichi’s gaze went distant. “Twins, man …”

“Did you forget you’re a Sun, idiot?” sneered Hayato.

“Hey, you try thinking straight after a night like that!”

Xanxus laughed; last he knew, the Cervello were a pack of twenty fucking clone-sisters, and they shared _everything_.

One of the attending Cervello tapped her microphone. “All of the combatants are present and each Sky candidate has submitted their order of battle. We will begin the matches momentarily. All observers are to remain in the designated areas.”

Right fucking then, black Flames burst out of the ground and two fucking _Vindice_ stepped out. Their aura was cold as balls, and Xanxus reached for the Zero-Point counter without even thinking about it. Tsuna just pinched his nose. “Now what?”

**“We are here to observe the Ring Battles. The Vongola succession is a matter of interest for – what is that noise?”**

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…!” Lussuria was bouncing on his toes, hands clasped under his chin, and one or another of the Mists had added fucking hearts floating around his head. Xanxus cuffed him. 

“Keep it in your pants, trash.”

The Cervello traded looks and the taller one said, “Understood. Please restrain your aura so that it does not interfere with the outcome of the matches.” The feeling of ice in his fucking bones faded, thank fuck. The Vindice took positions behind Iemitsu, who did not look happy to have them breathing down his neck.

The Cervello consulted their notes. “We will now begin the battle for the Cloud Ring. The combatant for the Varia will be Gola Mosca.” The robot lumbered onto the field, the Cloud half-ring duct taped to its head. “The combatant for Tsunayoshi Sawada will be Haru Miura.”

Xanxus sat bolt upright. “What the _fuck?_ ”

*** ***

Two days earlier:

Tsuna and his Elements were gathered at Haru’s house for a strategy meeting. He was still irritated at his father for putting them in this position; he had prepared colored cards with the Varia officers’ names on them, and he shuffled them glumly. “I’m sorry for getting you all into this mess.”

“Maa, we knew it might happen,” said Takeshi. “Haru said she had a cunning plan, didn’t she?”

Haru nodded vigorously. “See, when I’m playing Pokemon – ”

“Is this really the time?” grumbled Hayato. Tsuna laid a hand on his arm.

“No, I feel like she’s on to something. Go on, please?”

“Right, Boss! In Pokemon, you don’t usually want a mirror match; you pick mons that have a type advantage over your opponent. That’s what we should do for the Ring Battles too.”

“Is that allowed?” asked Kyoko.

“The Varia are going to use a robot for the Cloud battle,” Tsuna pointed out.

“Gola Mosca? Isn’t that one of Spanner’s?” said Hayato. “I remember him talking about installing Flame batteries so it wouldn’t need a pilot.”

Reborn had the official rules open on his laptop. “The rules say that a Sky’s Guardians must fight one-on-one matches; if a Sky doesn’t have a full set they can bring substitutes – hence the robot – and they must have the half-rings on their person for the battle. It does _not_ say that the Guardian’s Flame has to match the ring they’re fighting for.”

“Hahi, then I should fight the robot.” Haru picked up the Gola Mosca card. “Everyone knows robots are weak to Lightning.”

*** *** 

“And now, I’ll attack its weak point for massive damage!”

Xanxus grinned as sparks crackled across the robot’s armor. “One thousand yen for calling attacks!” Viper yelled, exasperated. Not that it would matter; a fucking robot couldn’t change its tactics on the fly. A smart matchup for a novice fighter.

“Girl fights like a fucking pit bull. Seriously though, is that allowed?” 

Tsuna shrugged. “Like your robot is an actual Cloud?”

“Point.” And fuck, his Sky was a devious little shit. “Are any of us fighting who we expected?”

“Wait and see.” Tsuna smiled mysteriously. Below in the arena, Haru was methodically punching dents in Gola Mosca’s steel armor. One final burst of Lightning, and the robot toppled over. Haru peeled the duct tape back, clicked the half-rings together, and struck a victory pose. 

“Cloud Ring, get!”

One of the Cervello made a mark on her notes. “The Cloud battle is concluded in favour of Tsunayoshi Sawada.”

Levi, standing behind Xanxus, grunted. “At least I don’t have to hit a girl.”

“The next battle will be for the Lightning Ring,” the Cervello announced. “The combatants are Levi A Than and Chrome Dokuro.”

“Bozhe moi,” said Levi.

*** ***

Tsuna laid the cards out on the floor. “So, we need to decide which is the best match for each of us. Let’s start with Chrome – sorry, but you’re the weakest fighter among us, so you should get first pick.”

“I understand, Boss.” Chrome nibbled on a fingernail as she studied the remaining cards. “Who is the most straightforward thinker among them?”

“Probably Levi,” said Hayato, “Because Lightnings can’t help being direct.”

“Hahi?”

Reborn shuffled files on his laptop. “It’s a reasonable choice. Not that Levi is stupid; he’s quite well educated, but his fields are analytical, not creative. He hits hard, but he’d have to find you first.”

Chrome nodded and picked up the green card.

*** ***

Levi scowled at the wisp of a girl facing him. A trained Mist could be dangerous, he knew, but a civilian-raised schoolgirl? “Make this easy for yourself, miss, and hand over the ring.”

“I’m sorry. My Boss is counting on me.” Her voice was so soft Levi could barely hear her. He felt worse about what he was about to do … but sentiment was a weakness, and Varia Quality did not show weakness. He wouldn’t even need his parabolas for this … he gritted his teeth and swung at her.

He had just enough time to notice she wasn’t dodging, and then his fist sank into nothing at all, and her form dissolved into indigo. So, she did have some training. As Levi returned to his stance, a dozen figures of Chrome appeared in a ring around him. “Mr Levi, shall we dance?” they said in unison.

A typical Mist trick. He ran through the basic checks: all of the copies had shadows and appeared to be breathing. There were subtler tells; he smirked when he noted that the images had no scent, until he discovered that _none_ of the girls in the circle had a scent. Either Chrome was hiding hers, or she was somewhere else entirely.

The circle of girls began a twirling dance, confusing the eye as to which was which. That was no obstacle; why? Because Levi was not limited to physical senses. He drew one of his parabolas and set off a variant of his Volta; the flash Hardened reality around him for an instant. Lesser illusions would dispel entirely; this one didn’t, but he had what he needed.

He singled out one of the dancing figures. The flat of his blade struck her ribs with a crunch; she flew backwards and fell limp on the ground. Levi ignored the gasps of Chrome’s comrades and marched up to her. He reached for the chain around her neck and found, instead of a ring, a medallion which read ‘please try again.’ The body dissolved into Mist.

Levi stopped to think. Had his opponent deceived his Volta? Or had she switched with an illusion after she was hit? Currently, he couldn’t see a trace of her. If he could trust neither his Flames nor his physical senses, how would he find her? He didn’t need to, he realized. Why? Because in order to capture his half-ring and win the battle, Chrome would have to come to him. He planted his feet in the center of the arena and waited.

His first warning was a startled murmur from the audience. Then, droplets of moisture falling on his head and shoulders. He looked up just as a dinosaur’s jaws descended on him, and Hardened his flesh just in time to prevent injury.

The tyrannosaurus lifted him into the air and shook him like a ragdoll; he managed to get a foot on its shoulder and used that as leverage to wrestle the beast to the ground. It stayed there, a massive obstacle blocking half of the field. Levi checked that his half-ring was still hanging around his neck, and flashed a Volta again. This time Chrome was hiding inside the dinosaur illusion, using it as a gruesome tent.

He stalked towards it. It was tricky, but his Flame could make him resistant to Mist’s effects; he could reach straight through the tyrannosaur construct to seize the girl within. Before he got the chance, though, he was swarmed by birds of all kinds. Another common Mist tactic, and effective at disrupting his concentration. In between keeping the constructs away from him, he tried to locate Chrome, as well as checking that he still had the ring.

Then a soft voice said, “We’re done.” All of the constructs vanished and Chrome reappeared; she was sitting on the railing right in front of the Cervello and she was holding up the combined Lightning ring. Levi snatched up the chain on his neck and found a ring-pop. A green one. When had she done that? The Cervello declared Chrome the winner, and they both returned to the audience area.

“The fuck was that, trash?” Xanxus threw an empty bottle at his head; he didn’t try to dodge it.

“I have no excuse, Boss.” Chrome could just as easily have stabbed him as switched the rings; there was extra training in his future. Chrome, meanwhile, staggered over to Reborn.

“Matteo-sensei, please …” It seemed he _had_ hit her. Levi didn’t consider himself a good guy, but today he felt more of a heel than usual. Haru glared at him.

“I’d swear at you but I don’t know enough words.”

That gave Levi an idea for a peace offering. He rummaged in his gear bag and took out his swear jar, which was full of slips of paper. “Here.”

Haru drew out a handful and read them. “Sheisse! Pendejo! Tabernac! … What kind of swearword is ‘tabernac’?”

“French Canadian, religious.”

The Cervello broke in, “The Storm battle will begin shortly. The combatants will be …”

*** ***

Hibari swooped in and seized the red card from the pile.

“Ok, that’s one more decided …”

*** ***

Belphegor grinned as he fanned out knives between his fingers. The firs two battles had been _much_ too tame; a tourney needed _blood_ to be fit for a King!

The Cloudy peasant agreed. He barely waited for the start to be called before pouncing with his tonfas. Belphegor slid aside and called up a gust of wind to carry his blades to their target. It amused him to have his Flames mimic their namesake; a small drop in air pressure was all it took. To command the Storm in all its manifestations – that was proof of his noble superiority.

Hibari batted aside the knives with his tonfas, but Belphegor had learned from their previous spars; one blade got past and nicked Hibari’s cheek. “Ushishishishishi …” _Yes!_ The blood of the unworthy would paint the world. He would take the Storm Ring and present it to his King in tribute.

“Carnivore.” Cloud Flames pressed against his own. Propagation and Destruction, directly opposed. And then there was no more time for thoughts, only blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [CACKLING INTENSIFIES] At last, my master plan has been revealed!


	8. Chapter 8

Xanxus and Tsuna traded exasperated looks as they hauled their bloodthirsty Elements off the field. The Storm battle was a fucking draw, because the trash had gotten too _distracted_ beating each other up to grab the fucking rings.

“The result of the Storm battle will be deferred until the participants are able to continue,” announced the Cervello.

“I say we make these two jan-ken-pon for it,” said Tsuna.

“Serve the trash right.” Xanxus checked Belphegor over; he was more exhausted than injured. It wasn’t often that a Varia officer went toe-to-toe with a fucking equal. Tsuna had Fon gather up Bel’s knives while he handed his Cloud over to his Sun.

“I wonder if Kyoya would like me to kiss it better,” said Reborn.

“If you wait until he’s awake, Sensei.”

Xanxus snorted. The Sun battle was up next, but he fucking doubted Reborn would be in it.

*** *** 

There were four cards left in front of Tsuna. “Since I already have a guess who Takeshi wants to fight – Hayato, which of these would make the best match-up for you?”

“One recommends Lussuria,” said Fon. “They are a hand-to-hand fighter, with few defenses against area-effect weapons such as bombs.”

Hayato picked up Lussuria’s card. “Decimo! I shall do my utmost to capture the Sun Ring for you!”

Reborn, who was still wearing said ring, bonked him on the head with it. “Don’t get carried away.”

Tsuna tugged Hayato down into his lap and stroked his hair. “Remember, this is all for show. You are more important to me than a piece of jewellery.”

*** *** 

Hayato glared across the field at his opponent. Even taking Tsuna-sama’s orders into account, the thought of failure was unbearable. He was Tsuna-sama’s Right Hand; he could not _afford_ to fall short of his duty now.

“Ready when you are, darling~!” Lussuria blew a kiss at the watching Vindice; Jaeger tipped his top hat in response.

Hayato started with a triple bomb, its fuse shorter than any he had used since _that day_. He had to deliver enough force to overwhelm the Sun’s healing factor. Lussuria was fast; he was on top of Hayato and kicking at his face before the first blast went off. Hayato rolled aside just in time. His Storm Flames were doing several things at once: shielding his body from the shockwaves and shrapnel, consuming Lussuria’s Flames directly, lighting fuses. And snipping through the chain that held the half-ring at Lussuria’s neck.

It fell to the ground unnoticed in the scrum; he summoned Uri to retrieve it under cover of another bomb salvo. For once the feline did as he asked, and when the ring was in his hand, Hayato let the dust settle. “Lussuria, I have your Ring.”

“What a coincidence, darling – I have yours.” Lussuria held up a ring on a broken chain. Hayato’s hand flew to his neck. _When_ had he lifted that? The Sun pocketed the ring and adjusted his shades with a smirk. “Round two~, darling.”

Hayato threw a bomb and put away his own half-ring while the smoke covered him. This was going to _suck_ ; picking pockets was not one of his strong points. He would have to think fast; he had yet to train his Cloud flames to multiply his explosives correctly, so his ammunition was limited.

Lussuria struck him with his knee brace … once, and then Hayato cut the straps as he was being hit. Maybe he didn’t need to take anything from Lussuria’s pockets if he could just _take the pockets_. He used his Flame to slash at Lussuria’s uniform. Anyone else would be off balance, but the Sun officer had no problem fighting in a bustier and garter belt. This time Hayato threw a volley of gyoza-ken dumplings; their effect slowed Lussuria down, but not enough for Hayato to evade him. They ended up in a mad tangle of dynamite and garlic.

Lssuria abruptly broke contact. Hayato didn’t bother to wonder why as he pulled out more dynamite. Then Lussuria called out, “Look what I’ve got, darlings!”

He what? Hayato stuck his hand in the pocket where he had stowed the ring. Nothing. He had lost?

“The winner of the Sun battle is Lussuria,” announced the Cervello. Still holding the complete Ring aloft, Lussuria threw his other arm around Hayato’s shoulders.

“No hard feelings, right, honey?”

“Where did you even have that?” Never mind, he didn’t want to know. He hoped Reborn would remember to wash it.

He stumbled off the field toward Tsuna-sama, who was giving him a worried look. Worried, not disappointed. Hayato crumpled at his Sky’s feet.

“Hayato, are you all right?”

“I lost, Decimo.” Fingers combed through his hair; Sky Flame rippled over him. _This_ was something he could not win or lose in a fight. That was his even when he didn’t feel worthy of it. He leaned into Tsuna-sama’s hand and let it wash away his disappointment in himself.

“Any chance I can get some of that?” rumbled Xanxus.

“That depends; are you going to lose your match?” Tsuna-sama replied innocently.

“That’s a fucking trick question, Aniki.” Hayato snickered.

“The Rain battle will now begin,” said the Cervello. “The combatants will be Squalo Superbi and Takeshi Yamamoto.”

Squalo bared his teeth. “Now we’ll see who’s the true successor to the Shigure Soen Ryu.”

“Ahaha, it’s the right hand against the left hand.”

“Voi, but which is which?”

*** *** 

“Maa, I hope you don’t mind if there’s one mirror match.” Takeshi reached out and picked up Squalo’s card. “I’ve been waiting to test my skills against him.”

Tsuna didn’t mind; it made sense to set a swordsman against a swordsman.

*** *** 

_“Utushi Ame!”_ Squalo crumples; on his way down, the tip of a sword hooks the chain off his neck and flips the half-ring into its wielder’s hand. Squalo splutters out of the puddle they’ve made, but he’s grinning. He has got to do that again sometime; there’s a reason Shigure Soen Ryu is his favourite style, and that’s a brand-new form that has taken him out.

Squalo knows that Takeshi chose to let him live. Just as he would choose to let Takeshi live. It _is_ more impressive than killing when the blade skims his neck without leaving a scratch. Xanxus grabs him by the braid and glares into his eyes; whatever he sees there pleases him.

By this time, the bratty Prince and his playmate have come around. When mini-boss tells them to play rock-paper-scissors for the Storm ring, they have identical pouts and it’s fucking hilarious. They do it, though, and the ring goes to Belphegor. The Cloud snarls. “Carnivore, you cheat.”

“Ushishishishishi, you telegraph your moves, peasant.” Mini-boss pats his Cloud’s arm.

“Matteo-sensei is up next, Kyoya-san. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”

“Hn.”

*** *** 

“And that leaves the two Arcobaleno facing each other.” Tsuna handed the indigo card to Reborn.

“No problem at all.” He tilted his hat down. “I’ve learned a lot about countering Mist techniques recently.” 

*** *** 

Excitement sparkled across Reborn’s nerves. This was a golden opportunity; he and Viper had often matched wits in the information realm, yet they’d never fought directly. “Shall we do this the easy way, or the fun way?”

“Mu. You can’t afford the easy way.” Mist Flames spread out, and the world changed.

Reborn examined the Escher-esque jumble of staircases and smirked. He had done post-graduate studies in geometry; it would take more than this to confuse him. He spotted his target, standing on a surface that was sideways to him on the opposite side of the chamber. Navigating all the stairs to reach them would be time consuming … so Reborn didn’t. Instead he channelled Flames to his legs and leaped across the space. As he suspected, local gravity was variable and he landed beside his counterpart. “Is that the best you can do, Viper?”

Viper teleported away without a word. It was true; Reborn could think of several ways that Checkerface would make this maze more fiendish. A year and a bit of prank wars had taught him a great deal, both about what Mist was capable of and how to get around it.

This time Viper made themselves invisible, and blended their Flame into the construct around them. But there were things they couldn’t hide; the activation of their nerves, the motion of blood in their veins. He was the World’s Greatest Hitman and he did not need to see his targets in order to find them. A swarm of giant bats appeared to prevent him from leaping across the chamber again. He shrugged and set off in a seemingly random direction that angled toward Viper’s hiding place. They were being cautious; they would try to lure him into a trap before taking the ring. So, why not spring it?

Between one step and another the environment changed, to a weightless zone criss-crossed with vines. Reborn adapted his movement to bouncing from vine to vine. Viper had also included some non-Euclidean geometry; though Reborn could sense them to his left, his current route was the fastest way to reach them. Vines seized his limbs and stabbed at him with their thorns; he shot them away. His scalp prickled. He was getting close; this was a distraction, not the true trap. 

The transition was so subtle he might have missed it, if he weren’t waiting for it. An internal illusion overlaid the external one; within his mind, he was still dodging vines, but his body was drifting in empty space. With a careful twist of his Flames, he enhanced the link between his body and mind, and slid his awareness out of the illusion.

Daemon had shown him how to do this. Just as Reborn had shown Hayato how best to counter Sun Flames. That was one reason Guardians were so dangerous; that they trusted each other with their Flames’ weaknesses. Viper could have consulted with Lussuria – if they’d had any warning they would be facing _him_.

“I know you’re awake, Reborn.” Damn; he’d hoped to play possum long enough to get them inside his reach. He opened his eyes. Viper floated above him, with their image displaced a half-turn from where they actually were, and he kept his sight-line on the illusion. 

“You should know that I can’t be caught so easily.”

They drifted closer, though still well out of reach of his infant form. Their Mist territory held him pinned in midair, his limbs spread out so he couldn’t reach his weapons or his transformation bracelet. He wouldn’t need to. Borrowing a trick from Fluffy-Tsuna, he concentrated his Flames at his core.

“Mu, yet you are still entrapped in my Mist. Why do you think you are unable to move?”

Reborn unleashed his Flames. In an eyeblink he Activated his bracelet; seized Viper’s Ring, now in easy reach of his adult form, and stunned them with a variation of the Rei Gun. “I didn’t feel like it.”

*** 

Tsuna bit his lip and stared at the bubble of Mist that enclosed the amphitheatre. There was no way to know what was going on in there. He could sense through their bond that Reborn was all right, but that was all. After ten interminable minutes, with Hibari growling louder and louder, the Mist bubble rippled and burst. It revealed Reborn standing in adult form, with the Mist ring in hand and Viper apparently unconscious at his feet.

“The winner of the Mist battle – ” The rest of the Cervello’s announcement was lost under Hibari’s snarl as he lunged at Reborn. The hitman caught him in an armlock, nose to nose with him.

“See something you like, Kyoya?”

Hibari’s eyes were wide and tinted violet. Tsuna snorted and yelled, “Get a room, you two!”

Reborn tipped his hat in acknowledgement, and in a burst of combined Sun and Cloud speed, they were gone. Lussuria retrieved Viper from the arena floor; the Mist was starting to wake up, and glowered at all of them from under their hood. “You will all be fined for this.”

“I’ll buy you a strawberry cake.” Tsuna sighed; he would ask about what happened later. At least both Arcobaleno were unharmed. His and Xanxus’s Elements were lounging on the picnic blankets together, snacking and chatting about the battles. At the center of the group, six out of seven Vongola Rings rested in their case. Leon, who had just dropped off the Mist ring, crawled into Kyoko’s pocket to take a nap.

They all knew what came next. Tsuna gave Hayato’s hair a last pat and slid out from under him. He shed his suit jacket and stretched. “Ready to finish this business, Xanxus?”

“I was fucking _born_ ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor of Mathematics is not confused by your geometries.
> 
> The right-handed Left Hand vs the left-handed Right Hand. Nuff said.
> 
> I considered having Hayato win, but how he deals with losing turned out to be significant character-wise.
> 
> And I did once win a round of rock-paper-scissors because the other person telegraphed their move ^^


	9. Chapter 9

Xanxus was barely keeping a handle on his fucking Flames. A part of him wanted to puke at the thought of raising a hand to his Sky. _His fucking Sky_. A bigger part wanted Tsuna to overpower him; to face his full strength and make him eat dust. It wouldn’t be half as fucking satisfying if Xanxus just _let_ him.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at him. “So you know, I’m only going to hit as hard as you do. You want a thrashing, you’re going to have to work for it, understand me?”

“Fuck yeah.” His Sky knew what made him tick. Xanxus grinned.

He drew his X-guns, primed and ready for action. Tsuna rolled his shirt sleeves up to the elbow, and his bracelets turned into armoured gloves. His Flame was hidden but Xanxus could feel it inside himself, glowing with fucking anticipation.

“Ladies?” asked Tsuna.

“Begin,” said the Cervello. Xanxus fired the first shot – at Tsuna’s leg, just to check what he could handle – but by the time the Flame bullet arrived, Tsuna wasn’t there anymore.

“I know you can do better than that, Xanxus.” Tsuna flicked his ear, and how the _fuck_ had he gotten that close? “Trust me.”

Xanxus twisted towards him; he slipped around his grasp. This was shaping up like their first encounter, with Tsuna dodging everything and not striking back until he was good and fucking ready. Xanxus would just have to fucking _impress_ him.

His next shot was to center of mass. Tsuna’s Flame pulsed out for a moment as he caught it. With one fucking hand. Then he got inside Xanxus’s guard and slammed him into the ground. Xanxus was rock fucking hard. He picked himself up and lined up another shot.

*** 

Tsuna launched himself upward. He knew this would be an intense spar; Xanxus was Sky enough to keep up with him in the air, and Storm enough that Tsuna could feel his pleasure at being tossed around. Getting shot at again was more fun than was probably rational, but now was not the time to think about that. 

They circled each other. Xanxus was in far better form today than when he was fresh out of the ice; he was free with his fists as well as his guns. A brawler. And every time Tsuna slammed him into the landscape, he got up and came back for more. 

Xanxus landed a few solid hits on Tsuna too, and their bond echoed with his fierce joy every time Tsuna stood up again. He was ignoring the half-rings at their necks in favour of losing as thoroughly as possible; Tsuna did enjoy giving his Elements what they wanted.

With each exchange they spiralled higher, trailing streaks of orange behind them. Tsuna let his Flame surround him. With Harmony and Intuition to read the pace of the battle, he could tell that they were only getting started. Tsuna slipped through Xanxus’s guard and delivered an uppercut that sent them both skyward. They were so close that Tsuna could feel the heat from Xanxus’s chest, and their half-rings bumped against each other.

There was a flash of light, and suddenly they were _elsewhere_.

*** 

Rather than nose to nose, Tsuna and Xanxus were now standing side by side in a blank white expanse. Without discussion, they paused their fight. “The fuck is this shit?” said Xanxus.

“I think it’s a mindscape thingy,” said Tsuna, who had seen more than enough of them thanks to his many Mists. He addressed the space around them, “Do you mind? We were in the middle of something.”

Nine figures faded into being. “The Inheritance Trial is activated when the heir candidate is in mortal danger.”

“We will be if we fall from that height and break our necks!” Tsuna threw up his hands in disgust. Xanxus added,

“Then you assholes would really be up shit creek with your fucking succession.” That was enough for Tsuna to realise who he was looking at, including the blond man who was virtually his twin.

“This all only takes an instant in the outside world,” said Giotto. “Otherwise we _would_ be killing off heirs.”

The Xanxus look-alike next to him, presumably Ricardo, growled, “Would it kill you to stick to the script?”

“Already dead, cousin,” Giotto pointed out. “And we’ve never had two of you show up together before, so screw the script. Though I’m afraid only one of you is eligible to become the heir.”

“I fucking know,” said Xanxus; he put a hand on Tsuna’s back and pushed him forward a step.

“So, Vongola Famiglia, blood-soaked history, so on and so forth,” Giotto continued. “I would show you images of all our sins, but you’re already up to speed, aren’t you.” Between Reborn, Daemon and his own experiences, Tsuna was. As for how Giotto knew that – Intuition, probably. “Do you accept this heritage, and the greatness of the Vongola name, as your own?”

“Only if by ‘accept’ you mean clean up your messes,” said Tsuna. “Because somebody ought to. As for _your_ sins, Giotto-san, Daemon would like a word with you.”

“I’ll bet he does.”

“About his child.”

“Ah.” Giotto’s expression turned solemn. “Push a bit of Flame into the Ring, and you can call one of us into the waking world.”

More ghosts? Haru would squeal. Tsuna nooded understanding and said, “Anyway, I don’t see what’s so great about bloodshed, so no, thank you.”

The only woman in the group cackled. “I told you he wouldn’t fall for it. Especially with the company he’s keeping; Xanxus, come say hello to your grandmother.” 

Xanxus, suddenly a perfect gentleman, stepped over and kissed her on both cheeks. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your funeral, Nonna.”

“You didn’t miss much, it was frightfully dull.” Daniella patted his shoulder. “I owe you an apology, too, for not noticing how Stormy you actually are.”

And a Storm would respond to Skies as leaders to seek approval from, not as peers. Now that he had Tsuna as his Sky, he would be able to express that side of his soul.

“If he takes after me in more than looks,” Ricardo muttered, “You might want to watch your back.” Xanxus whirled around and sucker punched his ancestor, then kicked him in the balls for good measure. “Bastard son of a whore!” yelled Ricardo.

“Smile when you fucking say that.”

The older Wrath suddenly grinned. “You’ll do, kid.”

Giotto rolled his eyes. “Now who’s going off script? Tsunayoshi, you’ve passed the Inheritance Trial, huzzah and whatever, you are now Vongola decimo. There’s a whole speech but it’s pointless after all that.” Tsuna wondered if Giotto had ever used that speech, with how informal every Sky seemed to be.

“Say the thing,” said Daniella. “You know you want to.”

“Right, right.” Giotto waggled his fingers and intoned. “ _Your hours have been inscribed on the Ring._ Call us if you ever need advice, and we’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“About fucking time,” growled Xanxus. “It was just getting good.”

Tsuna looked around at the Vongola Dons with their signature weapons in hand. “It was nice meeting you all …” he paused at the Fourth. “Why a fork?”

“Young man, I accomplished more over the dinner table than I ever did on the battlefield.”

That, Tsuna could appreciate. “I’ll be talking to _you_ again later. Xanxus, shall we?”

*** 

The real world faded in again; Xanxus sailed through the air with the force of Tsuna’s last blow. Not a fucking second had passed. He used his Flame to adjust his trajectory, then kicked off a tree into a twist and roll that let him shoot at Tsuna from below. If his Sky wanted him to earn an asskicking, he was going to fucking _earn_ it. How dare his trash ancestor question his fucking loyalty?

Tsuna dodged the shots and threw a Zero-Point Breakthrough at him; he blasted it apart with a roar. So, they were taking it up a notch. If not for his Flames, Xanxus would be mashed into paste by now, and it was fucking awesome. He leapt skyward, X-guns blazing. Again, Tsuna caught his X-bullets like fucking rubber balls and this time, he threw them back at him. Xanxus tanked the shots – not like his own Flames would hurt him – but the fucking _idea_ of it made him shiver. 

His Sky picked up on the shift in his thoughts and picked up the pace. He was on the offensive now, not just responding to Xanxus’s attacks. In fact Xanxus could barely get a fucking shot in edgewise. He got punted into the air, into the trees, into the fucking mud, and he was loving every second of it. 

*** 

Tsuna could feel Xanxus’s resistance crumbling. It showed in his eyes, his Flames, in the rhythm of the battle; the tipping point came when Tsuna started throwing X-shots back at him. It was a heady feeling, that he could not only defeat such a powerful fighter, but make him _want_ to lose.

Time to finish this. Tsuna called out Natsu; Xanxus, startled, almost forgot to defend himself. The box animal sprang at Xanxus’s face, and Tsuna used the opening to disarm him. He rose for added momentum, then dropped again and slammed Xanxus to the arena floor. Tsuna pinned him with a knee on his ribs and a hand on his throat. The pulse under his fingers was fast; Xanxus’s eyes were wide and hungry.

He had fought well; he had countered the Zero-point during combat, and that left one small piece of unfinished business between them. Tsuna grabbed a handful of Xanxus’s shirt collar and pulled him closer. “Say my name.”

“Tsuna …” Xanxus’s gaze sharpened, and his lip quirked up. “…-sama.” Still hadn’t had enough, had he? Exasperated, he shoved Xanxus back into the ground; Xanxus let out a groan that was more pleasure than pain. His own were _such_ perverts. Tsuna plucked the half-ring from Xanxus’s neck and combined it with his own. 

“Tsunayoshi Sawada holds the Sky Ring,” said the Cervello. “The Ring Battles are concluded and Tsunayoshi Sawada is confirmed as the Vongola heir.” He was one step closer to his absurdly ambitious goal.

The Vindice glided forward’ with their Flames contained. He had almost forgotten they were there.  **“We perveive that you have completed the Inheritance Trial as well,” said Bermuda. “Do you recall our agreement?”**

“I do,” As matters stood, Tsuna could well take over as Don within the year, let alone by his twenty-first birthday. Bermuda nodded once, and started to draw on his Flames to depart.

“Wait!” Lussuria jumped up. “Can I get your picture?”

The Vindice traded a look.  **“Give the camera to Tsunayoshi.”**

Looking disappointed, Lussuria handed it over. Then a chain snapped out and pulled him to Jaeger’s side. Tsuna managed to snap a picture of Lussuria, still in his underwear, with Jaeger’s arm around his waist and an elated expression. An instant later the Vindice were gone.

“This one’s going in the special folder~!” Lussuria reclaimed the camera and tucked it into his waistband.

“You’re a fucking pervert, trash,” said Xanxus.

“And you love me for it, darling!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Xanxus gets heat pets now ^^
> 
> The Vindice enjoy having a fan.
> 
> And Skies refuse to take formality seriously ...


	10. Chapter 10

Hayato was quick to notice that Tsuna-sama hadn’t moved a step from where he’d ended the battle. “Kyoko, will you get this lot packed up?” Despite being weak in the knees himself, he went to Tsuna-sama’s side to offer his arm. Tsuna-sama put an arm around his waist and leaned against him. Hayato nuzzled his hair; his Sky would not want to show weakness in front of outsiders such as his so-called father. Not when it would undercut the _magnificent_ battle they had just seen. “Would you like some coffee, cielo mio?”

“That sounds great; let’s all go.” Tsuna-sama looked around for Basil, who had just climbed out of the viewing booth. “Basil-nii, will you join us for coffee?”

“I dare not, if I’m to keep my cover,” the Rain said. “The External Advisor intends to depart at once.” Hayato took a second look at the observation booth; sure enough, Iemitsu was nowhere to be seen. Had he _run away_? A faint frown crossed Tsuna-sama’s face, then he sighed. 

“You have the recordings of the battles?”

“Aye, milord.”

“Then I’m putting you in charge of them. If anyone besides Timoteo wants to see them, check with me first. And if Viper wants a copy, get at least a million out of them.”

“Mu, we’ll see about that.”

“ … And if you need to come home for a bit, let me know; one of the Mists can transport you.”

“As thou commandest, milord brother.” Basil bowed a flourished European bow, then trotted off after his supposed mentor.

“Me and mine will keep an eye on him, Aniki,” rumbled Xanxus. “Che. Figures the jackass is a fucking coward too.”

Tsuna-sama nodded. “Now I _really_ want a coffee. No, a bath and then coffee.”

Kyoko added, “Most of us could use a bath.” All those who had fought were coated in varying amounts of sweat, dust, mud and blood, including Hayato.

“Voi, how big is this bath?”

Hayato said, “There’s Cloud flames involved, there’s always enough room.”

*** 

The sound that Xanxus made when he got in the hot tub was probably fucking illegal. He had a fucking glorious set of bruises coming up, and the water was spiked with Sky Flames. Reborn and the Hibari Cloud were already there, leaning against one another; Reborn was adult size and looking even more fucking smug than usual.

“Try not to get any bodily fluid in the bathwater,” Reborn told Xanxus. “There’s a screen over there if you need to rub one out.”

Hibari nipped his shoulder. “Crude language is beneath you, carnivore.” Xanxus snorted; sometimes it fucking showed that most of Tsuna’s circle were teenagers.

Lussuria slid into the water next to him. “Want me to heal those up for you, Boss?”

“Fuck no.” He wanted to show off the marks that proved his Sky was _better_ than him. He wasn’t the only fucking showoff, either; the baby swordsman had a flock of swallows inked around his shoulder, the start of a Yakuza-style tattoo. Fon had a fucking slave brand on his back, plus a sweet fucking dragon. On the other hand, Viper was covered in a bank of fog so no one could get a fucking clue about their gender.

“Mu, you missed your Sky’s fight,” they told Reborn.

“I have full confidence in Fluffy-Tsunas abilities.”

“The pineapple let us watch through his eyes,” said Hibari. Tsuna raised an eyebrow.

“Were you two making out while watching me fight?”

Hibari nodded shamelessly. It sounded like a fucking great idea to Xanxus. Tsuna threw an arm over his eyes. “I’m surrounded by perverts.”

“Kufufufufu, consider the common factor.”

*** 

Tsuyoshi shuts off the feeds from Kokuyo land with unsteady hands. He shouldn’t be surprised; he knows Tsuna-sama’s strength and how hard he trains. It’s still different from seeing him wipe the floor with the Head of the Varia.

“Ara, my Tsu-kun is growing up so fast!” Nana flutters. 

Bianchi gives her a sideways look. “That’s what you got from that?” 

The adult auxiliary of Tsuna-sama’s famiglia are watching from TakeSushi’s back room; Shamal is also present, though he’s doing his Misty best to be invisible. Nana flaps a hand in his general direction. “Silly Shamal, are you scared?” 

“My dear lady, I’m terrified.” Shamal needs to put more trust in their Sky. To Tsuyoshi he says, “Your son fought well.”

“Maa, all of them did.” In fact, Tsuyoshi is beyond proud that Takeshi can face down the Sword Emperor himself. Squalo knows his business and Tsuyoshi wouldn’t mind another match himself. “Do you expect any more trouble with That Man, Nana-chan?”

She giggles brightly. “If he acts true to form, he’ll go straight to the airport and be none the wiser.”

*** 

Basil dares not look back as he mounts the aircraft steps. O temptation! To throw caution to the wind and return to his brother’s side. He must needs be steadfast; he is charged with a task of greatest import, to keep watch on this man who is no father.

“Wasn’t my Tsuna-fishie adorable showing off for his papa!” Iemistu guffaws with a slap to his thigh. “Of course, next time I’ll show him how a real man fights!”

Many are the words to describe the Skies’ battle, but adorable does not rank among them. The nature of a real man is also a matter of debate. Basil in the guise of a student, asks, “Doth Lord Tsuna yet require instruction in such matters?”

“It’s natural for a boy to need his father’s help, am I right?” When said boy hath sixteen years, and vast domains of his own?

“Did you even speak to him, Boss?” asks Lal.

“The bond between father and son is deeper than language!” He has not, in a word. 

Dismissing him from consideration, Lal faces Basil and shapes a hand-sign: _recordings?_ He pats his satchel. To the brace of Cervello she says, “Your contract fee has been transferred to the usual account. Here’s the receipt.”

Iemitsu once again flaps his jaw, “You two ladies are looking chipper; I’ll bet you had a great time in my hometown.”

“We have been getting some sun,” says one Cervello.

“It is a source of vitamin D,” says the other.

***

Tsuna dipped his brush in the ink and touched it to the paper. No announcement or formal correspondence today, just a set of traditional proverbs he was copying out. It was important to enjoy hobbies for their own sake sometimes.

He wasn’t alone in his studio; Xanxus was sprawled on one of the sofas, reading on a tablet and drinking vodka straight from the bottle. Muttered curses filled the air.

“Problem?” Tsuna asked after an especially loud one.

“Not yet, but I’m going to have to kick some asses soon to keep the trash in line.” Xanxus set aside his tablet and crossed his arms behind his head. “Plus all the other bullshit I have to deal with. I’m gonna need a fucking therapy animal.”

“Would you like a snake? We’ve got plenty.”

Xanxus made a rude gesture at him. “Seriously though, Aniki, can you show me that burning bush thing you do? I can use that shit.”

“Sure.” Tsuna completed the last character and rinsed out his brush. “How long will it take you to get your place in order?”

“A couple months. You planning to come to Italy soon?”

“At summer vacation, I hope.” He wanted to make his first public appearance – outside Namimori, that is – before tackling the Vongola’s internal politics. And more importantly, he wanted to take Hayato to the beach.

*** 

He roused from his nap when they entered the café, potted bonsais in hand. A crooked mirror of the past; Skies wrathful and gentle, like and unlike their ancestors. The Boss raised Daemon up. “Are you in the mood to tackle your unfinished business with Primo?”

So, he had discovered the secrets of the Sky Ring. “Now is as good a time as any.”

“This I’ve got to fucking see,” growled the stormy sky.

Bright Flames alit on the Ring and drew forth a presence more ghostly than his own. “I see you’ve found the trick of it, Tsuna.” Bright eyes fell upon him. “Daemon, is that you? What happened to you?”

“Thereby hangs a tale.” He tucked it around his ankles.

“I’ve noticed what you were doing, you know. Have you finally stopped plotting revenge?” He was as transparent as ever.

“That depends on your next answer.” He laid his ears back. “My child. Elena’s child. _What did you do?_ ” The living Sky ran fingers through his fur; the dead one ran a hand through his hair.

“It was Alaude who found her first. He brought the babe back to us; by the time we’d seen to its safety and returned for Elena’s body, you had already found her. I tried to tell you, but you weren’t speaking to us by then.”

“… Why must you always make it difficult to stay angry with you?” He settled himself in his Boss’s arms. “And after?”

“We brought her with us to Japan. You know how Alaude was about young creatures; he raised her as his own. She eventually married a paper maker and started her own family.” And by the time he thought to look into Japan, his descendants were shrouded in obscurity. Elena’s descendants.

“I’m done,” he said, and tucked his face into his Sky’s jacket.

*** 

The phone on Timoteo’s desk rang, and he set aside his paperwork to pick it up. “Vongola speaking.”

“Old man.”

His breath caught. “Xanxus.” He knew that Xanxus was free – he’d seen the video of the Ring battle, and had a very strange dream about the Inheritance Trial – but he’d never expected him to call. He floundered for something to say and settled on, “Have you been well?”

“No fucking thanks to you,” Xanxus snorted. “I’m not ready to see your fucking face without a neutral party there, but I’m back, and you won’t fucking get rid of me so easily this time.”

It was an unexpected relief to hear that profanity-laced growl; just as it had been to see Xanxus shrug off the Zero-point during the Ring battle. “For what it’s worth, I deeply regret my actions.”

“I know, Tsuna let me read your fucking letters.” Timoteo wasn’t going to try to unravel the implications of _that_ right now. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me?”

This would be one of the most embarrassing confessions of his career. “… I forgot.”

“You fucking _forgot_ to mention something that fucking important?”

“I forgot there was anything to tell. You are my son, regardless of circumstances.”

A long pause. “Fucking Skies.”

“Guilty as charged.” Timoteo smiled for a moment before sobering again. “I _am_ sorry, Xanxus. I should have understood that it would be important to you.”

“There’s a lot about me you don’t understand, Papa.”

“So I have come to realise.” He had seen it in the Ring battle, how much Storm there was in Xanxus’s actions. The family had done him a grave disservice in ignoring that part of him. “Is it too late for an old fool to learn better?”

Xanxus snorted, which wasn’t a no. “None of us were at our fucking best back then, not after Enrico … and when I fucking wake up, Nonna, Massimo and Federico are all fucking gone too. What the fuck, old man?”

Timoteo hoped that was a rhetorical question, because he truly had no answer. “If you would like to … visit them, have your people talk to my people, and I shall arrange to be elsewhere.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Another awkward pause stretched out; in the background, Timoteo heard a loud crash and a yell of ‘Voooi!’ “I’ve got shit to do, old man. I’ll be in touch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would a snake make a good therapy animal?
> 
> Here we are at the end of the Varia Arc; when I started this series, I wasn't sure if I would get this far. And guess what - the series is not over yet! There are four more parts planned, though only one is plot-heavy. Where is this story going next? The beach, of course!
> 
> Despite current events, the next part is 80% done and will be up in about two months. I'll be posting some other material until then, as usual. A big thanks to all of my readers and commenters ^^ see you soon, and stay safe.


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